New Bathurst mill owner hasn't delivered jobs in U.S.

A U.S. company that purchased the shuttered Smurfit-Stone paper mill in downtown Bathurst, N.B., this week hasn't yet produced the promised jobs in an Ohio city where it took over a similar facility.

'There hasn't been any jobs as a result of the Green Investment Group. There's certainly been consulting jobs and jobs from construction, from the demolition happening. But there haven't been any permanent jobs.' —Nate Green, economic development officer

SSPM Bathurst, owned by the Green Investment Group,  bought the Smurfit-Stone mill that has sat idle in Bathurst's downtown since 2005.

The Green Investment Group also owns former Smurfit-Stone mills in Alton, Ill., Carthage, Ind., and Circleville, Ohio. 

The Ohio mill was acquired in 2006 and was planned to be turned into an ethanol plant. But three years later, the mill has yet to reopen.

Nate Green, the economic development director for Circleville, said promised permanent positions that would replace the old mill jobs have not materialized.

"There hasn't been any jobs as a result of the Green Investment Group. There's certainly been consulting jobs and jobs from construction, from the demolition happening, but there haven't been any permanent jobs," he said.

The economic development officer said there's been little activity at the plant since Green Investment Group took it over in 2006.

"At the time, they talked about doing a biodiesel plant, then an ethanol plant," he said.

"Unfortunately, what's happened since that time is that the market for ethanol and biodiesel — certainly in Ohio anyway, and even in the Midwest states — there's been a lot of ethanol plants put up, so there's been a lot of supply and the demand hasn't really caught up. So Green Investment, it's been tough for them to follow through because of the market."

When Smurfit-Stone closed its corrugated paper mill in Bathurst in 2005, it put 270 people out of work.

So a level of optimism grew in the northern New Brunswick city when it was announced this week the old mill had been purchased.

"We've had no jobs there right now, so whether it's 10, 15, 20, 30 jobs or 100 jobs, we'll be happy," said Bathurst Mayor Stephen Brunet.

The company has said it plans to convert the mill to energy generation, including alternative fuels and waste-to-energy conversion.

More specific details of its redevelopment plans for the Bathurst mill will be made in the near future, according to the company.