Verso Paper Corp., headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, has announced plans to close its paper mill in Bucksport, Maine, by the end of the year. The closure of the mill will reduce Verso’s coated annual groundwood paper production capacity by about 350,000 tons and its specialty paper production capacity by about 55,000 tons, according to the company.
In announcing the closure, Dave Paterson, Verso’s president and CEO, says, “The Bucksport mill unfortunately has not been profitable for a number of years, in spite of our employees’ dedicated efforts to make it so. Our assessment indicates that it is impossible for the mill to achieve profitability in today’s marketplace.”
Lyle Fellows, Verso’s senior vice president of manufacturing and energy, says, “This decision is especially difficult because of the significant impact that the closure of the Bucksport mill will have on many people across the region, especially our long-serving and hardworking employees and their families.”
In announcing the closure, Dave Paterson, Verso’s president and CEO, says, “The Bucksport mill unfortunately has not been profitable for a number of years, in spite of our employees’ dedicated efforts to make it so. Our assessment indicates that it is impossible for the mill to achieve profitability in today’s marketplace.”
Lyle Fellows, Verso’s senior vice president of manufacturing and energy, says, “This decision is especially difficult because of the significant impact that the closure of the Bucksport mill will have on many people across the region, especially our long-serving and hardworking employees and their families.”