Resolute Forest Products to idle the No. 1, lightweight coated paper line at its Catawba, South Carolina, mill from Dec. 23 until Jan. 9 due to sluggish orders, the first market-related shutdown since March 2009

Sandy Yang

LOS ANGELES , December 20, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) –

Resolute Forest Products Inc. will idle the No. 1 unit, which produces lightweight coated paper, at its Catawba, South Carolina, mill, from Dec. 23 until Jan. 9, reported The Herald on Dec. 20.

The curtailment is due to slow orders at this time of year, said Barry Baker, human resources manager. The mill has not had market-related downtime since March 2009, when 120 workers were laid off.

The 95 workers that will be laid off during the upcoming shutdown will be assisted with filing for unemployment benefits, Baker said, The Herald reported.

The No. 1 unit was chosen for the shutdown because it’s the oldest and most costly to operate of the three paper machines at the mill, said Baker, noting that the other two lines are capable of producing other grades of paper.

The mill has production capacity of 878,000 tonnes per year of commercial printing papers and market pulp on three machines, according to Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products’ website.

The mill, which is one of the largest employers in the region, employs about 770 people, reported The Herald.

The primary source of this article is The Herald, Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Dec. 20, 2011.
 

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