Pixelle Specialty Solutions announces closure date for Chillicothe paper mill
https://www.globalpapermoney.com/
CHILLICOTHE – The Pixelle paper mill in Chillicothe is set to officially shut its doors on Aug. 10.
The company issued an updated notice Tuesday morning, announcing the official closure date.
Pixelle Specialty Solutions first announced the closure of its facility at 232 E. 8th St. in April, citing an effort to "align its operational footprint with long-term business objectives" as one of the reasons.
The company said the closure would happen in phases to relocate most operations to the manufacturer's Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, location.
The announcement sparked a response from state leaders and lawmakers, including Gov. Mike DeWine, senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Moreno called the closure "corporate greed" while DeWine described the situation as aggravating.
Moreno said he spoke with the owners in April, who agreed with him to pause the mill's closure until the end of the year.
State leaders had planned to find a new company to take over the paper mill.
In its notice, Pixelle provided an update on seeking another buyer.
"Since the issuance of the original WARN notice, there has been meaningful engagement from both local and state government officials who have actively partnered with Pixelle Specialty Solutions in an effort to identify a viable buyer for the Chillicothe facility," the company stated in its notice on Tuesday.
"Despite these collective efforts, a buyer has not been secured. Additionally, we have experienced a significant decline in order volume and a sharp increase in employee departures. As a result, we will be unable to continue operations at the facility."
On Monday, the state opened a resource center that it says will help the workers impacted by the paper mill closure.
The center, located at the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library Annex on South Paint Street, was designed to help workers with resume development, training, reskilling opportunities and job searches.
On June 25, the state says JobsOhio, Ohio Means Jobs, Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce and Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center will hold a job fair from noon to 3 p.m. at Ohio University Chillicothe at the Shoemaker Center.
Over 30 companies are expected to be in attendance.
According to the Ross County Historical Society, the mill has been located in Chillicothe since the mid-1800s.
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