Jay Papermill Announces It Will Close in 2023, Putting 230 Mainers Out of a Job

The paper mill industry in Maine keeps growing smaller and smaller with the announcement by Pixelle Specialty Solutions that they will be closing their Jay paper mill in the first quarter of 2023. Approximately 230 workers will be affected by the closure.

The Jay paper mill had an explosion on April 15, 2020 when a rupture in a pressure vessel in the pulp mill caused a release of a mixture of wood fiber, water and pulping liquor. The result was a large explosion of the pulp digester that rained threw pulp into the air to rain down on logging trucks in line to deliver to the mill.

All of it was captured on video by one of the trucker's dash cam. There's some very adult language used here, but I would be using it too if I witnessed what is shown in this video.

Luckily no one was injured, but the mill was closed for quite some time as the damage was assessed and clean-up efforts began. The financial hit was a burden as well.

Timothy R. Hess, President and CEO of Pixelle. has this to say on Business Wire about the closing:

The dedicated and skilled paper making employees in our mill in Jay, Maine have worked tirelessly to achieve financial sustainability in challenging economic times. They have produced products of the highest quality and maintained a safe work environment. Economic forces beyond our control have combined to make profitable operations at the mill unsustainable. We are grateful for the efforts of the employees and are committed to assisting them with offers of continued employment at other Pixelle locations or outplacement support.”

Production will continue at three other Pixelle mills in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio.