Full Forecaste

Past Month's Most Commented Stories

Home > Area News

Wauna paper mill ready to install $200 million machine

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 7:07 AM PDT

By Janine Manny

Font Size:
 
 

Employees and guests celebrated the groundbreaking for a $200 million air-dried paper machine Friday at the Georgia-Pacific Wauna mill Friday.

Construction of the new machine will reduce the planned layoffs of 100 hourly workers that Koch Industries, Georgia-Pacific's parent company, announced in August.

"It allows us to keep about 30 people," said Rick Erickson, president of United Steelworkers Local 1097.

Georgia-Pacific spokeswoman Kristi Ward said Monday that the Georgia-Pacific Engineering and Technical Services division, based in Atlanta, will be general contractor and will sub-contracting with local companies.

For example, Kynsi Construction of Clatskanie and Bergerson Construction and Big River Construction, both of Astoria, are doing site preparation work. Construction sub-contractors have not yet been chosen.

Wauna was competing to get the new machine with four other company paper mills that serve the West Coast. In 2004, Wauna added a $200 million tissue machine -- No. 6 -- that created 110 new jobs.

The new machine -- No. 7 -- is scheduled to start producing paper towels late next year.

To mark the groundbreaking, Wauna employees donated 700 cases of towel and tissue products to Clatsop County, Columbia County and Cowlitz-Wahkiakum United Way groups.

"Wauna employees have a history of community service, which is reflected in our employee-led United Way campaign which raised $275,000 for our local communities last year," James Jordan, Wauna Mill manager, said in a Monday press release.

The Wauna mill produces Brawny and Sparkle paper towels, Quilted Northern and Angel Soft bath tissue, Vanity Fair napkins and Dixie picnic supplies.

Clatsop County and Oregon employment officials helped OK huge tax breaks through the state Strategic Investment Program to help it lure the new machine.

Previous Next

free spirit wrote on Feb 7, 2008 1:19 AM:

" If they were in bad condition , it would seam that the neighbor who saw them in the woods would have immediately rescued them, and asked questions later. Obviously they were not in bad condition, only crates(not a crime) or carriers. Maybe he did take his animals with him on a trip. I have taken mine before,and know many people who take thiers along(even in RVs. Sounds like extreme tree huggers to me. Or maybe the PETA people who think a dog should never be crated.I guess it is more humane to go to dog shows and let other peoples dogs out in protest to them bieng in thier crates. I guess if this results in them getting hit by a car, lost, or running at large , this is acceptable. Most vet's require that an animal is crated in the waiting area. I hear no mention of whether or not they had food, or water. I think the humane society also must have someting better to do than chase after a guy and 18 dogs that are not in unsavory condition, even by the accounts of the neighbor who saw them in the woods. If they were in bad condition shame on that neighbor for leaving them there. "

Top Jobs
More Top Jobs
Top Garage Sales
More Top Garage Sales
Top Rentals
More Top Rentals