Chillicothe — The Ross County Commissioners released a statement on their participation in a “Coordinated Response and Strategic Action Plan” regarding the announced closure of Chillicothe’s paper mill.
This follows the third ‘paper mil response team’ meeting that the commissioners have hosted since the announcement of the closing on April 15th, and then the delay of that on April 18th.
From the May 7th news release: “A Weekly Action Response Team has been formed by the Ross County Board of Commissioners, bringing together key local stakeholders including GCRC Development, the Chillicothe-Ross Chamber of Commerce, and The Montrose Group, LLC.
“This team is also working in close collaboration with cross-jurisdictional partners including the City of Chillicothe, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, OhioSE, JobsOhio, and other congressional offices.”
The 178-year-old paper mill in Chillicothe is best known as “The Mead,” owned by the Mead Corporation in Dayton from 1890 to 2002. Since then, it has passed through a series of mergers, new corporations, and investment companies.
Since 2018 it has been under “Pixelle Specialty Solutions,” which was bought by private equity firm “H.I.G. Capital” in April of 2022.
Three years later, they made an official notification – a “WARN Notice” – that employees would lose their jobs on or after June 13th. (The official number of current employees is 830.) The commissioners’ news release hints at distrust of the April 18th statement by H.I.G. to delay the closure to the end of the year:
“Local government is monitoring concerns that H.I.G. Capital’s actions have not aligned with public statements which have indicated intentions to pause the plant’s closure; those concerns will continue to be communicated to federal & state partners leading negotiations.”
And in a May 7th comment on my Facebook post about my last story on the paper mill, Ross County Commissioner David Glass wrote:
“I anticipate another statement in the coming days from [the Ross County] Board of Commissioners and stakeholders updating recent and ongoing action regarding the Chillicothe paper mill.
“I also anticipate that will include reference to our advocacy and voicing of concerns regarding Warn Notice, etc. to those negotiating directly with HIG & Pixelle corporate leadership.”
More on some of their partners in the paper mil response team:
GCRCD is “Greater Chillicothe & Ross County, Ohio Development,” the city, county, and regional economic development agency.
The Montrose Group is an advisor / consultant to GCRCD, and has joined in on previous paper mill meetings. (The Columbus-based company includes two Pickaway County economic advisors that I have interviewed in the past, Nate Green and Ryan Scribner.)
They are an “Ohio-based economic development and public policy consultancy serving companies and communities. The team offers their clients more than 105 years of combined experience in economic development, strategic planning, corporate site location, and lobbying.”
OhioSE is “the liaison for companies looking to locate or expand in our 25 county region of Southeastern Ohio. We are the ones with our ear to the ground, a wealth of data at our fingertips, and a network of resources that’s second to none…”
“OhioSE focuses on business retention and expansion, attraction, site selection and development services, stakeholder relations, and research support. With over a decade of experience and a deep understanding of this unique region, OhioSE is the primary resource for companies looking to relocate or grow in our 25-county area.”
OhioSE says they work closely with JobsOhio, Ohio’s economic development corporation, which has been mentioned several times as a significant partner in this issue. “JobsOhio, the state’s unique private economic development corporation, acts as a catalyst for high-growth business investments and job creation that are helping propel the state’s ingenuity and ambitions forward.
“Founded 12 years ago, JobsOhio is a first-of-its-kind, state-authorized, nonprofit built with private stable financial resources, seasoned professionals with private sector expertise, a statewide network of economic development partners, and the long-term investment outlook needed to attract, retain, and expand businesses, payrolls, and career opportunities across the state.”
The commissioners’ news release continues:
“Ross County’s local leadership is fully committed to a sustained and aggressive effort to address the consequences of the plant closure, and to shape a stronger economic landscape that includes attracting investment for today as well as future generations.
“Despite the evolving and sometimes sensitive nature of negotiations and planning, the Commissioners pledge to keep the public informed as often as possible.”
Learn more in my previous story on the issue, as well as several others on the Scioto Post.
You can scroll through the PDF of the commissioners’ news release:
