Workers are dismantling long-dormant equipment at the McKinley Paper Co. mill to make way for $6.1 million in improvements as the company looks toward reopening the plant by December 31.
The factory was shuttered in April 2017 by Nippon, putting 150 employees out of work. McKinley will hire about 100 workers and is collecting applications, General Manager Edward Bortz said last week.
The company will participate in an October 2 job fair in Port Angeles to generate more interest.
Bortz said the new equipment includes a pulper for processing recycled cardboard into heavyweight bag-grades of paper and corrugated fluting for box liners.
“We’ve got people here working on it right now,” Bortz said Thursday.
“Everything is proceeding. We’ve got our permit from the city, we’ve got our environmental permits, we are getting construction going and getting the hiring going, and everything is coming together.”
The city of Port Angeles approved an industrial-remodel building permit for the project Aug. 15 so a kraft paper pulper and related pulp processing equipment can be installed.
TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/