Reports: Appleton Coated to restart machine

Finally, some good news on Appleton Coated.

One of the shuttered paper mill’s machines is reportedly starting back up on Monday, and the mill is recalling 50 workers.

Representatives for Industrial Assets, the mill’s new owner, declined comment on the reported restart.

But some workers and the regional head of the United Steelworkers union say some employees got recall notices on Tuesday.

“It’s a temporary thing. We’re hopeful,” said Michael Bolton, the Menasha-based director of United Steelworkers District 2, which covers Wisconsin and Michigan.

“We agreed to a 90-day temporary operation,” he said. “The new owner said he was going to try and sell this or get it going again. He’s living up to what he said. It’s better than seeing it sit idle.”

The 50 recalled workers will join 38 employees who had been previously retained for mill maintenance, for a total of 88.

Bolton said those 88 are all hourly workers and union members. He did not know the number of additional salaried management employees who were retained.

Employees have shared on social media that it’s the No. 6 machine restarting Monday and that it will operate until spring, though that is unconfirmed information.

Appleton Coated went into receivership in August and its machines were idled in late September. It was officially purchased by Industrial Assets Corp. in October. As part of the court-approved sale, the mill is being marketed for 90 days to potential buyers who could restart the machines and bring back some of the 600-plus employees.

So far, nearly 60 days into that marketing period, no new owner has come forward.

This machine restart is under Industrial Assets’ ownership.
more detail at:  http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2017/12/06/reports-appleton-coated-restart-machine/927065001/