AUGUST 23, 2025 — 1,093 GEORGIA EMPLOYEES
The company announced the permanent closure of its Savannah, Georgia, containerboard mill, the Savannah packaging facility, the Riceboro, Georgia, containerboard mill, and the Riceboro Timber and Lumber mill.
The restructuring impacts 792 employees in Savannah, 220 at Interstate Paper in Riceboro, and 81 at subsidiaries RB Lumber Co. and Newport Timber. The closures are set to be completed by the end of September 2025.
According to a company statement, "We understand how deeply these decisions affect our employees, their loved ones, and the surrounding communities. We are committed to supporting both our employees and customers as we navigate this transition."
"While difficult, these decisions are essential to positioning International Paper for long-term success, enabling us to focus on the geographies, customers, and products where we can create the most value. Our investment in the Riverdale mill reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable service while strengthening our advantaged cost position."
MAY 19, 2025 — TEXAS CLOSURES, MOVING TO MEXICO
One hundred thirty-seven employees will be laid off at International Paper's facilities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a box facility and sheet facility in Edinburg, Texas, and a mechanical packaging systems facility in McAllen, Texas. These job reductions are taking place to facilitate the transition of certain operations to Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where a more advanced sheet plant is under construction.
According to a media release…
International Paper announced the consolidation of its operations in the Rio Grande Valley to better serve customers. As part of its strategic growth initiative, and commitment to the Rio Grande Valley, the company will make strategic investments to convert the current Edinburg, Tex. sheet plant into a warehouse, invest in its current facility in McAllen, Tex. to increase capabilities and shift its current Reynosa, Mexico operations to a new, more modern and capable facility that is currently under construction in Reynosa. The company will close its box plant and sheet plant in Edinburg, Tex.
"The decision to cease operations at our two Edinburg facilities while investing in McAllen and Reynosa allows us to focus our efforts, provide excellent customer experiences and maintain a competitive cost structure that we believe positions us for profitable growth," said Tom Hamic, Executive Vice President and President of Packaging Solutions North America, International Paper.
The company's goal is to minimize the impact to affected employees through natural attrition, retirements and open positions at other IP facilities, including open positions at our McAllen, Tex. facility. The company will assist employees and customers through this transition.
NOVEMBER 11, 2024 — 674 EMPLOYEES IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA
The company’s pulp production mill in Georgetown, South Carolina, will close by the end of the year, eliminating nearly 674 jobs, including 526 hourly employees and 148 salaried workers.
Pulpmill Manager Bernie Chascin noted, "This decision is especially difficult because of the impact on hard-working employees, their families, and the surrounding communities.
OCTOBER 22, 2024 — PLANT CLOSURES, HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES TARGETED
Following the recent layoff of 650 employees, the company has confirmed hundreds of new layoffs related to facility closures in Rockford, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Statesville, North Carolina, and Cleveland, Tennessee, as part of its “transformational journey” to become more profitable.
A company spokesperson noted, “A critical step in this journey is to organize our teams and resources to create the most value for customers and shareholders. As a result, we made the difficult decision to cease operations at the four sites. The decision to close these facilities was difficult. Still, these actions will allow us to shift resources and increase our investments in facilities where we can best serve our customers through improved quality, reliability, and service delivery.”
OCTOBER 16, 2024 — 650 EMPLOYEES TARGETED IN MEMPHIS
The company has announced plans to layoff 650 employees, including 400 in Memphis., Tennessee.
According to a company spokesperson, "International Paper is undergoing a transformational journey to become a stronger, more profitable, sustainable packaging solutions company. A critical step in this journey is to organize our teams and resources to create the most value for customers and shareholders."
NOVEMBER 3, 2023 — Original post…
Memphis, Tennessee-based International Paper, a producer of packaging, pulp, and other fiber-based products, has announced a strategic, operational realignment that will impact multi-state operations.
The company will permanently close its Orange, Texas mill and permanently cease production on pulp machines in Riegelwood, North Carolina, and Pensacola, Florida, to "further strengthen and optimize its manufacturing system to meet customers' needs."
The operational changes will impact 900 employees. The Texas mill closure will occur in stages and finish by the end of 2023, affecting 565 employees. The Florida mill has been idle since August, and its permanent shutdown will affect 100 employees. The North Carolina fluff mill will cease production by the end of this year, affecting 200 employees.
According to Chairman and CEO Mark Sutton, "Decisions like these are extremely difficult because of the impact on our employees, their families, and the communities in which we operate. We are grateful to our employees in Orange, Riegelwood, and Pensacola for their significant contributions to the company over the years. We are committed to providing severance benefits, outplacement assistance, and more to help employees during this time.
We believe strongly in the attractive, long-term fundamentals of our businesses, and these actions further strengthen our competitive platform. Our optimized mill system, with its broad capabilities, gives us the flexibility to meet our customers' needs today and in the future."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?
