IP Courtland’s Final Two PMs to Shut Down this Month

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The final two paper machines at International Paper Co.’s (Memphis, Tenn., USA) fine paper mill in Courtland, Ala., are now scheduled to be shut down, but the company said the date could be flexible. Two of the mill’s four paper machines were shut down last November, with the remaining two to cease operations sometime this month. The mill is set to close at the end of March. IP began laying off workers this past December. Eventually, 1,100 people will lose their jobs.

In November, more than 30 local and regional companies held a job fair where they tried to match IP employees with new jobs.

With a production capacity on all four machines of 950,000 tpy, of which 765,000 tpy was uncoated freesheet, the Courtland mill produced papers for forms, envelopes, labels, copiers, printers, and magazines. The closure, as IP noted, was necessary because 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.

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