March 13, 2013
Resolute Forest Products announced the indefinite idling of a newsprint machine at its Calhoun mill in Tennesseem, US. The announcement will affect approximately 150 positions at the mill. According to Resolute, the idling comes as a result of a decrease in demand for newsprint, coupled with high operating costs for the machine, which produced 215,000 tons per year.
The decision follows Resolute’s March 11 acquisition of the 49% interest in Calhoun Newsprint Company (“CNC”) owned by The Herald Publishing Company, LLC, its joint-venture partner. The Calhoun mill, which presently employs 610 workers, will continue to operate the two specialty paper machines and the pulp dryer.
The Calhoun mill produces commercial printing papers, market pulp, and newsprint and has an annual production capacity of 660,000 tons.
