Mead Takes Market-Related Shutdowns at Rumford

Mead Corp. is extending a regularly scheduled shutdown of its R-10 coated paper machine at Rumford, ME, from 12 to 30 days. In addition, the mill is also taking a market-related shutdown of its R-11 and R-12 coated paper machines for nine days.

The shutdowns are being taken to reduce inventory of coated papers in what the company labels as a depressed market for those grades. The 300-ton/day R-10 machine will go down August 27, as scheduled for maintenance work. The other two machines, with a combined capacity of some 475 tons/day, will be shutdown beginning September 15.

As originally planned, the 12-day R-10 shutdown was not just for regular maintenance, but also to complete a major rebuild designed to improve product quality and operating efficiency. The Rumford mill, part of Mead's Paper Div., has a total of nine fourdrinier-type paper machines producing coated papers for premium periodicals, catalogs, books and commercial printing, as well as a variety of specialty papers. Five of the machines have on-machine coaters. The mill's total paper production capacity is around 1,500 tons/day.

According to a company statement, "the shutdown will coincide with normal kraft mill maintenance and is also intended to balance production and inventories with current demand." Normally, the R-11 R-12 machines would not be shutdown, the statement added.

Headquartered in Dayton, OH, the Mead Corp. also operates coated and uncoated publications paper mills is Escanaba, MI, Chillicothe, OH, and Menasha, WI (Gilbert Paper). Its other major mills include a 2,400 ton/day coated board mill near Phenix City, AL, and a 1,780 ton/day corrugating medium mill in Stevenson, AL.