RUMFORD, Maine, Dec. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier today, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced an award of $1,000,000 from the final round of the Forest Recovery Initiative of her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to ND Paper (NDP) for an upcoming project at NDP’s Rumford Division to enhance the efficiency of its R15 packaging paper machine.
“This financial support will greatly assist our efforts to increase the efficiency of our R15 paper machine and, ultimately, the long-term sustainability of the Rumford Mill,” said Ken Liu, Group Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “With help from the State of Maine, we are able to improve critical areas on the machine that will benefit our customers and establish R15 as a leading producer of packaging papers in North America.”
Administered through the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), the final round of the Forest Recovery Initiative awarded $14,000,000 in grant funding to nineteen organizations in an effort to increase company competitiveness and support wage-growth for Maine workers. According to MTI, ‘grant recommendations align with the Maine Economic Development Strategy: 2020-2029 and Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan by supporting locally grown talent, promoting innovation, and building bridges for training and education opportunities to meet workforce needs and create family-sustaining jobs.’
“The work we’re doing at our Rumford Division is a huge part of our future and our 100-year vision to thrive as a business and as a positive contributor to the communities in which we operate,” said Liu. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Governor Mills and the State of Maine for their support of both ND Paper and the forest products industry through this exceptional program.”
About ND Paper
ND Paper is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, and is one of Maine’s largest employers. The company operates the Rumford Mill and the Old Town Mill in Maine, a paper mill in Biron, WI, a recycled pulp mill in Fairmont, West Virginia, and a corrugated box plant in Sturtevant, Wisconsin.