Between May 11 and 21, Klabin, Brazil, will hold its annual general shutdown at the Monte Alegre mill, which consists of stopping paper production to perform maintenance that will ensure proper functioning of equipment, as well as safety and quality for the manufacturing process. During these 10 days, some 100 contracted companies and 3,000 outsourced workers will be involved in the general shutdown. 

Among the main activities planned are inspections of boilers, digesters, systems of power generation, and distribution and controls of the production process. The number of third-party workers requires logistics and infrastructure that include transportation, lodgings, meals, and other items, which move and boost the economy of Monte Alegre and the region. Added to these, are other benefits such as taxes generated for the municipality and extra movement in hotels, bars, restaurants and stores, as well as support services for the workers’ stay in the town.

During the days of the shutdown, the community may notice alterations in odors and noises coming from the mill, especially on the May 11 and 12, at the start of maintenance, and on May 20 and 21 upon the machines’ return to operation, the company notes. Klabin emphasizes, however, that these alterations cause no harm to people’s health or to the environment.

Klabin, Brazil’s biggest paper manufacturer and exporter, produces corrugated packaging, industrial sacks, and timber in logs. Founded in 1899, it currently own 14 industrial plants in Brazil and one in Argentina. It is organized in three business units: Forestry, Paper (cartonboard, kraft, and recycled paper) and Converting (corrugated boxes and industrial sacks).