Last paper mill in Fitchburg to close, resulting in 71 layoffs
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Greif will close its Fitchburg facility this spring
Delaware-based paper and industrial packaging manufacturer Greif is shuttering its Fitchburg mill, a move that will result in layoffs impacting 71 workers at the plant and the end of paper manufacturing in the city.
After the Fitchburg mill went through several ownership by several different firms, Greif acquired the former James River Corp. facility in 2019 through its acquisition of Georgia-based Caraustar Industries, according to a press release from Greif at the time. The plant was used to produce containerboard and uncoated recycled paperboard products.
The closing of the plant, located at 100 Newark Ave., came as part of a wider downsizing also resulting in the shuttering of a Greif facility in Austell, Georgia, according to a Wednesday press release from the firm announcing the closure.
“Decisions like these are extremely difficult because of the impact it has on our colleagues and their families, as well as the larger community,” Ole Rosgaard, president and CEO of Greif, said in the release. “We are grateful to our colleagues in Austell and Fitchburg for their contributions to the company and are committed to helping them navigate next steps by providing severance benefits and outplacement assistance.”
Greif blamed high operating costs and the need for significant investments into the facility as the reason behind the closure. The plant was the last paper production facility in the city which once relied heavily on manufacturing, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
A total of 140 positions will be impacted by the closure of the two plants, with 71 of those positions being based in Fitchburg, according to a WARN notice filed by the firm with MassHire. The plant is scheduled to close in May.
Greif operates 250 facilities in 37 countries, according to its website.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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