Declining demand for coated paper is behind the upcoming closure of a paper machine and associated equipment in Jay.
“We will be permanently shutting down the No. 3 paper machine at the Androscoggin Mill in Jay, effective Aug. 1, and we expect that the shutdown will be complete by the end of the third quarter of this year,” says Verso spokesperson Kathi Rowzie.
Rowzie says 120 employees will be affected by the move — the same 120 workers laid off when paper machine was idled earlier this year. She says most products made on the No. 3 machine are now being made on lower-cost machines in other Verso mills.
There will be around 400 workers at the mill following these latest layoffs. Rowzie says Verso is continuing to take steps to position the Androscoggin Mill as a leading producer for the specialty papers market.
