NewPage to shut down No. 12 paper machine in Rumford

UPDATE: Union: 120 NewPage workers could lose job in Rumford

RUMFORD — NewPage on Tuesday said it would “indefinitely” stop operation of one of the paper machines at its Rumford paper mill by mid-February because of tough economic conditions.

The exact timing of the shutdown and the number of employees affected have not been determined, according to Mark Lukacs, senior vice president of operations for Miamisburg, Ohio-based NewPage.

The Rumford mill employs roughly 850 people.

“We sincerely regret having to make this announcement because of the impact to our employees,” Lukacs said in a statement. “We will be working with our Rumford management team to minimize the effects to our employees.”

The company will idle its No. 12 paper machine, which currently produces roughly 300 tons of coated paper per day that is used for magazines and catalogs.

The coated paper market is under pressure from falling demand and increasing imports from paper mills in western Europe, according to the company.

“We continue to operate in a weak commercial environment and needed to take action,” George Martin, NewPage’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

NewPage filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2012, emerging two months later, in December 2012.