Sappi to lay off dozens of employees at Westbrook mill, shut down paper

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Sappi North America is laying off dozens of employees at its Westbrook mill, the company announced Thursday.Sappi said it is permanently shutting down Paper Machine 9 and the majority of the energy complex at its mill.Shutting down the paper machine will result in 75 layoffs.The company said financial pressures and marketplace conditions led to the decision.”The restructuring at the mill serves to strengthen this business, however, these decisions are never easy, and we do not take them lightly. We thank you for your outstanding contributions and we will do everything we can to support our affected employees during this transition,” Sappi North America Vice President of Manufacturing Mike Schultz said.The layoffs and closure of the paper machine will be completed by the end of the year.Company officials said they will work with the affected employees to help them find new jobs.Sappi said it plans to shift the paper machine’s production to mills in Skowhegan and Minnesota.Gov. Janet Mills issued a statement on the layoffs.“This is sad news for Maine, particularly for the 75 hardworking folks who will be most impacted by the shutdown of this paper machine. The Maine Department of Labor stands ready to help these employees through this difficult time by providing unemployment insurance, job training, and any other appropriate assistance. I spoke with Sappi North America’s CEO this morning, and he assured me that the company’s operations at the Somerset Mill are unaffected by this decision and that the mill is in an economically productive position for the long term,” Mills said.State lawmakers representing the city also expressed their support for the workers.”This is terrible news for these hardworking employees, their families, and our whole community. So many of our neighbors have been hurt by our current public health and economic crisis. For these layoffs to be announced now feels particularly harrowing,” Sen. Cathy Breen said in a statement.They urged affected workers to reach out to them for assistance working with the Maine Department of Labor.

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