Fortress Paper approves plan to cut about 16% of salaried staff in its dissolving pulp segment, for estimated annual cost savings of about US$2.2M; move is part of comprehensive cost-cutting initiative in response to challenging dissolving pulp market
Debra Garcia
VANCOUVER, British Columbia
,
June 2, 2014
(press release)
–
Fortress Paper Ltd. ("Fortress Paper" or the "Company") (TSX:FTP) announces today that it has approved an employee reduction plan that will result in a reduction of approximately 16% of the salaried staff in the Company's dissolving pulp segment, including senior management, middle management and clerical staff. The impact in cost savings is estimated at approximately $2.2 million per annum. These layoffs resulted from a management directive to immediately reduce labour costs as part of a comprehensive cost reduction initiative undertaken in response to the challenging dissolving pulp market.
"Fortress Paper is facing extremely difficult market conditions for dissolving pulp and we firmly believe in the need to be proactive to control our future," stated Chadwick Wasilenkoff, Chief Executive Officer of Fortress Paper. "The reduction in labour costs announced today is anticipated to save the Company over $2 million per year and is representative of management's efforts to improve the efficiency of the Company. While layoffs are unfortunate, they are a necessary and prudent measure in these difficult times."
About Fortress Paper
Fortress Paper operates internationally in two distinct business segments: dissolving pulp and security paper products. The Company operates its dissolving pulp business at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill located in Canada, which has expanded into the renewable energy generation sector with the construction of a cogeneration facility and the production of NBHK pulp.
The Company is also evaluating expanding its dissolving pulp capacity by converting the Fortress Global Cellulose Mill located at Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Québec into a dissolving pulp mill and re-starting the cogeneration facility. The Company operates its security paper products business at the Landqart Mill located in Switzerland, where it produces banknote, passport, visa and other brand protection and security papers, and at its high security production and research facility located in Canada, where it manufactures optically variable thin film material.
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