Despite Industry Challenges, The Paper Industry Continues To Be Profitable

The consensus is there are still excellent jobs available in the industry now and into the future. With industry innovation and new product development including projected alternative wood fiber usages such as nanotechnology, the pulp and paper industry will continue to be profitable. This is an exciting time to be in the industry!

At a meeting recently held by the Maine Pulp and Paper Association attended by over 240 industry stakeholders, there were five areas identified as the major industry challenges of doing business in Maine:

Energy, Tax Policy, Transportation, Fiber, and Labor and Workforce Development.

We must have government partnership with our industry to help address and make the changes necessary to running the remaining mills. This includes changes in energy and tax policy-the two most immediate impacts identified.