Miamisburg-based company to close 130-year-old paper mill

Verso Corporation

Verso Corporation

Miamisburg-based Verso Corp. is closing its paper mill in Luke, Md. that employed about 675 workers.

The paper producer said in a statement that it is closing the mill because of a decline in demand for the grades of coated freesheet paper produced at the mill, along with rising input costs, a “significant influx” of imports, and rising compliance costs.

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It will close by June 30 and will reduce Verso’s coated freesheet production capacity by approximately 450,000 tons, reducing total annual paper production capacity to approximately 2.7 million tons.

The mill was in operation for more than 130 years, according to Lederer, who said the decision to close the mill was “an extremely difficult one.”

“The company explored the possibility of producing alternate grades of paper products but the conclusion remained the same – we could not achieve profitability at the mill in today’s market environment,” Verso Interim Chief Executive Officer Leslie Lederer said in a statement.

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