By Charlie Passut | Tidewater News

Published Saturday, March 6, 2010

Photo by Charlie Passut

FRANKLIN—A portion of Isle of Wight County will not be added to the enterprise zone in neighboring Franklin and Southampton County until at least 2011.

Isle of Wight County Supervisor Phillip Bradshaw said Gov. Bob McDonnell and unspecified legal counsel advised him that the best way for getting a 6.37-square mile area of southern Isle of Wight, which includes the International Paper Co. mill, added to the Franklin-Southampton zone would be through legislation.

> Read the entire article (0pens in new window)

By Charlie Passut | Tidewater News

Published Friday, March 5, 2010

“I think all in all it’s been a positive day,” said Beth Reavis, director of Franklin Department of Social Services and chairwoman of the Western Tidewater Coalition. She estimated that about 200 people attended the fair, which was held at the Paul D. Camp Community College Regional Workforce Development Center. Opportunity Inc. of Hampton Roads, a regional workforce organization based in Norfolk, organized the event.

> Read the entire article (opens in new window)

Phillip Bradshaw, Jim Councill, Mike Johnson

Published Friday, March 5, 2010

Everyone is concerned about the Franklin mill closure and interested in what Franklin and Southampton and Isle of Wight County are doing to address the significant impacts this closure will have on employment, reuse of the mill site, tax structures and our local economy. While each of these areas deserves individual attention, let us briefly give you an overview of the regional effort being expended on your behalf.

On Oct. 22 when we were first informed of the closure, Franklin Mayor Jim Councill, Phillip Bradshaw, chairman of the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors and Mike Johnson, administrator of Southampton County, met within the hour to formulate a response and plan of action to strengthen our region collectively.

> Read the entire article (opens in new window)

By Charlie Passut | Suffolk News-Herald

Published Monday, March 1, 2010

FRANKLIN — Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe met privately in Richmond with Gov. Bob McDonnell this week to discuss a proposal to purchase facilities at the International Paper Co. mill.

“It was a good, positive meeting,” McDonnell press secretary Stacey Johnson said in a written statement Thursday. “The governor thought he had some good ideas and enjoyed hearing them.”

> Read the entire article (opens in new window)

By Charlie Passut | Suffolk News-Herald

Published Friday, February 26, 2010

FRANKLIN — International Paper Co. will permanently shut down the two remaining paper machines at the Franklin mill on April 15.

“It is possible for that date to change, but barring something unforeseen, April 15 will be the final day of operation for the No. 4 and No. 5 paper machines,” said Franklin Mill Manager Ted Lewellyn.

According to Mill Communications Manager Desmond Stills, the majority of the workforce at the mill will be released sometime between April 15 and June 30.

“During that time, employees will work to secure and preserve equipment and to process and ship out the remaining inventories of paper at the mill,” Stills said.

Previous reports indicated that groups of IP employees would be laid off about every two weeks, beginning with 19 workers on April 4. Most of the mill workers will reportedly be gone by July 1.

Carroll Story, president of Local 1488 of the United Steelworkers of America, said earlier this month that there are currently about 700 hourly and 110 salaried workers at the mill. He said a large group, perhaps 300 workers or more, would be laid off in mid-May about one month after the paper machines are shut down.

About another 250 workers would be retained for the converting, roll finishing and sheet finishing processes at the mill and would be among the last jobs phased out, Story said at the time.

FRANKLIN

International Paper expects to close its paper mill outside Franklin on April 15, a spokesman said this morning.

The majority of workers will continue working at the mill until between April 15 and June 30, said Desmond Stills, a spokesman for the mill. Others will stay beyond June for such duties as securing equipment.

The company announced in October that the mill would close by the end of spring. At the time, 1,100 people worked there and four machines were operating. Now, about 800 are employed at the mill and two machines are still in use, Stills said.

“The two remaining machines will be permanently shut down on April 15, barring something unforeseen,” he said.

Stills said the April 15 date was chosen “in order to make the process expedient. We didn’t want to drag it out forever.”

JEFF E. SCHAPIRO TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: February 24, 2010

The guy who ran for governor is turning to the guy who won for help on a jobs project for economically ravaged Southside Virginia.

Terry McAuliffe, defeated for the 2009 Democratic nomination, met privately yesterday with Gov. Bob McDonnell to discuss McAuliffe’s proposal to purchase a soon-to-close paper mill in Isle of Wight County, refitting it as a wood-fired power plant.

“The new governor and the would-be governor want to create jobs,” McAuliffe said after his unannounced 45-minute session with McDonnell, a Republican. “This is not a partisan issue.”

> Read the entire article (opens in new window)

By Charlie Passut | Tidewater News

Published Tuesday, February 23, 2010

FRANKLIN—Construction work to finish the build-out of the Franklin Business Incubator, postponed several times in an effort to land several International Paper Co. customer service jobs, is expected to begin by the beginning of March.

IP has yet to announce where it will house 35 customer service employees who will not be affected by the closure of the Franklin mill this year.

Last year the Incubator was awarded two grants to complete the building: a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August, and a $536,466 grant from Community Development Block Grant–Recovery program.

CDBG–R is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

Supervisor makes appeal to top state officials

By Charlie Passut | Tidewater News

Published Friday, February 12, 2010

FRANKLIN—Isle of Wight County Supervisor Phillip Bradshaw said top state officials, including Gov. Bob McDonnell, support having a portion of his county added to an enterprise zone in neighboring Franklin and Southampton County.

Bradshaw, who represents the Carrsville District, said that since last week he has met with McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng to discuss the enterprise zone. He and other county officials want a 6.37-square-mile area of southern Isle of Wight, which includes the International Paper Co. mill, added to the Franklin-Southampton zone.

> Read the entire article (opens in new window)

FRANKLIN

In the middle of a crowded meeting room, Teresa McCaskey, a 23-year employee of International Paper, was having a private chat with the governor.

She told him she would soon lose her job as a paper machine inspector, that her family income would be significantly lower, that the family has a mortgage of about $1,200 a month and two car payments.

She said she was concerned they couldn’t pay the mortgage or afford medicine if they were sick. Even on unemployment, she said, she would make too much to qualify for food stamps.

> Read the entire article (opens in new window)