Mohawk Fine Papers
What: Manufacturer of premium writing, text, cover and digital papers
Where: Corporate headquarters located in Cohoes, N.Y. Owns the Beckett Mill, 400 Dayton St., Hamilton
Website: www.mohawkpaper.com
Mohawk Fine Papers is temporarily laying off 45 people at its local paper mill effective Monday, according to the Hamilton city manager.
City Manager Joshua Smith said he was told it was a temporary layoff due to decreased demand for Mohawk’s products. Mohawk is a New York-based manufacturer of premium writing, text, cover and digital papers with three paper mills, including one in Hamilton. The local plant is the Beckett Mill, 400 Dayton St., Hamilton.
The company will continue to pay 100 percent of health benefits during the layoff, Smith said.
Employees were notified Wednesday.
Smith said he talked Friday to Mohawk Chief Operating Officer Kevin Richard. Richard couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
“He stressed the whole time it was a temporary layoff. Of course, everything is going to be predicated on the economy and demands for their product,” Smith said.
In 2009, Mohawk purchased 14 coated grade paper lines from SMART Papers, another paper manufacturer in Hamilton. The transaction made Mohawk the largest supplier of premium papers in North America. At the time, Mohawk had 40 employees on layoff.
Mohawk Fine Papers purchased the Dayton Street Beckett Mill paper plant from International Paper in 2005. The Beckett Mill is one of three paper plants owned by Mohawk, which is based in Cohoes, N.Y.
The Beckett Mill is 163 years old, according to a history on Mohawk Paper’s website.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or clevingston@coxohio.com.
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