Sappi to lay off 75 workers in Westbrook, shut down paper machine - Press Herald

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Sappi North America will permanently shut down a paper machine and cut nearly 30 percent of the workforce at its Westbrook mill.

The mill’s earnings are under pressure from increased competition in the market and costly mill infrastructure, Sappi North America CEO Mike Haws said in a letter to employees.

It will shut down paper machine No. 9 and major components of the energy complex at the mill, Sappi announced Thursday.

About 75 positions will be impacted by the shutdown, which the company expects to completed by the end of 2020. The machine’s base paper production will be shifted to mills in Cloquet, Minnesota, and Skowhegan, the company said.

Layoffs will be coordinated with the mill’s labor unions under the provisions of their contracts, spokeswoman Colleen Martin said. Some employees may be provided opportunities at other Sappi sites, she added.

About 260 workers are employed at the Westbrook mill.

The restructuring “is necessary to ensure the Westbrook Mill is a sustainable contributor that can compete effectively in the global marketplace,” Haws said in the letter to employees. “We believe that these difficult steps will set up the Westbrook Mill for future success.”

This story will be updated.

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