The Virginian-Pilot
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International Paper might maintain a presence near Franklin, but the mill won't make paper anymore.
In the company's most detailed comments since its paper mill stopped production in April, a spokeswoman said Thursday that it is considering proposals from businesses such as producing wood pellets or ethanol.
However, "there are no plans for paper or paperboard to be produced at the site," said Donna Wadsworth, the spokeswoman, in an e-mail.
When asked in an interview whether International Paper might maintain ownership of the site or take part in future operations, she said: "That decision has not been made at this point."
Wadsworth added: "It will become clear in a few months what our presence might be or might not be."
The proposals that International Paper is considering "include the production of wood pellets, lumber, fluff pulp, ethanol, biomass power generation and bio-diesel," she wrote in the e-mail.
She also said the site might not end up with just one business. A group of companies could work side-by-side at the former mill in different, yet complementary, operations.
Wadsworth, who is based in Ticonderoga, N.Y., emphasized that nothing has been decided. She said in the e-mail that the company expected to complete studies such as engineering evaluations and cost analyses and make a decision by early next year.
In an interview earlier this week, Franklin Mayor Jim Councill sounded hopeful about the future. "They may have a presence of some sort," Councill said of International Paper. "It may be minor or it may be major.
"They're working closely with a number of interested parties," he said. "We're led to believe it's a very promising outlook."
The details came nearly a year after International Paper announced on Oct. 22, 2009, that it was closing the mill. At the time, the mill employed 1,100 people and produced 740,000 tons of paper annually.
The mill dated from 1887, when Paul D. Camp and two brothers founded Camp Manufacturing Co. with the purchase of a sawmill. They began producing paper there in 1936.
Camp Manufacturing merged with Union Bag and Paper Corp. of New York in 1956. The company was renamed Union Camp Corp. International Paper, based in Memphis, Tenn., bought it in 1999 in a deal valued at $7.9 billion.
The property sits in Isle of Wight County, near Franklin.
Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic candidate for governor, is the only bidder who has gone public. He has said he wants to turn the mill into a "biomass wood-burning facility."
On WHRV-FM's talk show "HearSay with Cathy Lewis," McAuliffe said Monday: "I think we'll know relatively soon where we are."
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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No thanks to the Union
I would not be surprised if they closed the plant to disband the union. Sky high wages & benefits they we're paying. Now they can reopen with cheaper labor. Unions are the reason the auto industry was pulled to it's knees.
Only one part of the problem
Yes the excessive pay and benefits played a large part. Unions can't seem to grasp that slightly lower pay and benefits are still much better than no pay and no benefits.
Taxes too play a part. Local and state officials don't understand that lower taxes on companies is better than no taxes from closed companies.
Environmental wacko with the insane regulations makes it almost impossible for a company to operate in the United States and particularly Virginia. It's much easier to make the products overseas and just import them here. The only problem is all the jobs have been destroyed and a lot of people don't have money to buy anymore.
The Liberals, socialists and Environmentalists have destroyed the country. Just part of Obama's change we can believe in. Sorry but I can't believe in it.
Just wondering.
Should the product have been wood "pellets" or pallets?