International
Paper today announced plans to permanently close its Courtland, Alabama Mill, a
facility that is part of the company's Printing and Communications Papers
Business.
About
1,100 employees will be impacted by the closure. IP said the mill will shut down in stages with a full closure expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2014.
The mill closure will reduce IP's North American uncoated and coated freesheet paper production capacity by 950,000 tons, of which 765,000 is uncoated freesheet.
"These decisions are especially difficult because of the impact to long-serving and hard-working employees, their families and the surrounding communities," said International Paper Chairman and CEO, John Faraci. "This decision to permanently close capacity is primarily being driven by demand decline for uncoated freesheet paper products in the United States."
The Courtland Mill produces papers for forms, envelopes, labels, copiers, printers and magazines.
The demand for uncoated freesheet in North America has been in decline since 1999 and has recently accelerated as consumers continue to switch to electronic alternatives such as online publications and electronic billing and filing, IP noted.
International
Paper's Printing and Communications Papers Business will consist of four paper
mills focused on uncoated freesheet, bristols and specialty papers markets:
Two uncoated freesheet paper mills,
Eastover, South Carolina and Riverdale, Alabama.Two specialty paper mills, Georgetown, South Carolina and Ticonderoga, New York.
