RUMFORD – Longtime paper company employee Gerald LeClaire will soon become vice president of operations for the Rumford NewPage Corp. mill.
He replaces Gary Curtis, mill manager for 13 years, who is being transferred to a similar mill in Luke, Md., as vice president of operations.
LeClaire has served as paper production manager at the Rumford mill since 1995, and has been an employee of the mill for 27 years.
Colleen Hebert, director of human resources at the Rumford mill, said the announcement was made of the impending change by George Martin, vice president of coated operations in the Dayton, Ohio, office.
She said the transition will take place over the next few weeks.
Curtis, an employee of the Rumford mill for more than 20 years, has served as vice president of operations under four different owners, beginning with Boise Cascade, then Mead, MeadWestvaco, and now NewPage.
He could not be reached for comment. LeClaire was on vacation and also could not be reached for comment.
Matt Bean, vice president of union Local 900, said the union has had a good relationship with Curtis.
“We’re sorry to see him go. I believe he was good for us and helped with the Pulp and Paper Resource Council,” he said.
He said the union is also looking forward to working with LeClaire.
“I worked with Gerry in the pulp mill in the 1980s when he was the manager. We’re looking forward to working with him and having a good relationship with the company through him,” Bean said.
Hebert said she was not aware of any changes at the local mill as a result of the new leadership.
The Rumford mill is one of five purchased from MeadWestvaco by Cerberus Capital Management LLC, a group of New York City investors, just over a year ago.
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