(Kingsey Falls) Cascades announced on Thursday the closure of the second paper machine at its tissue paper mill in St. Helens, in the US state of Oregon, resulting in the complete closure of the site. The end of operations will be effective at the beginning of next October.

The Quebec paper giant believes that this closure will further simplify its operational platform and allow it to concentrate the majority of its tissue product production activities around main sites that are well positioned geographically and offer development opportunities.

The president and chief operating officer of Cascades Tissue Group, Jean-David Tardif, specifies that the market conditions on the west coast and a marked drop in this region of the demand for brown recycled products manufactured at the St Helens compromised its long-term financial viability.

The annual capacity of the paper machine is 50,000 short tons of 100% recycled brown tissue paper, which is not integrated into the Cascades network. The company therefore advises that the closure will have no impact on its other operations.

Cascades will attempt to relocate the 75 affected employees who so wish to its other business units in the United States. The others will be supported in their job search.

Last April, Cascades announced that it would be gradually closing facilities in Barnwell, South Carolina and Scappoose, Oregon.