Paper Production Set to Return to Chillicothe Mill

Paper production is set to return to Chillicothe’s former paper mill about a year after Pixelle Specialty Solutions closed the facility, with the new owner preparing to restart one paper machine and potentially add hundreds of jobs.

U.S. Paper Mill, the property’s new owner, said 13 current employees are preparing Paper Machine 12, known as “The Chief,” to begin making paper by December. The company has hired 10 paper-production workers and continues to recruit, including by contacting former Pixelle employees with relevant skills and experience.

The restart is not expected to immediately restore all of the jobs lost in the shutdown. Mike Throne, president and CEO of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce, said the economic impact will also depend on the wages and benefits offered by employers operating at the site.

Local leaders previously cited a study estimating that the mill closure could have a $1 billion impact on Ohio’s economy.

The site is also becoming more diversified. Glove manufacturing is operating there, while Alignment Engine is proposing a server data hall with circuit-board assembly.

“Before we were just paper and we made paper,” Throne said, adding that diversification could provide additional industries to offset weaker performance in any one operation.

U.S. Paper Mill said as many as 350 paper workers could be added over roughly the next year, although the company stressed that figure is not a firm commitment. Reaching that level would depend on potential partners converting discussions into investments and jobs.

More than 180 people already work onsite across different operations, according to U.S. Paper Mill.

For former mill worker Paul Harris, a potential return could provide an opportunity to reconnect with the workplace where he spent more than four decades. Harris is now helping develop a cultural center focused on his Native American heritage and said any decision to return would depend partly on compensation and his ability to work fewer hours.

For now, U.S. Paper Mill said its paper-production efforts are focused on The Chief, with additional production capacity potentially considered as other opportunities develop.