Thursday, March 30, 2023
Green Reporter
  • Home
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation
No Result
View All Result
Green Reporter
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology

How Two Cooperatives Plan to Bring Back Paper Mills in Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls

GrR by GrR
July 2, 2021
in Technology
0
How Two Cooperatives Plan to Bring Back Paper Mills in Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls
57
SHARES
246
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


A bill passed by the Wisconsin legislature would give multi-million-dollar loans to two cooperatives looking to purchase the idled Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls paper mills.

It still needs Governor Tony Evers’ approval, but in the meantime the plan raises some questions – like how the co-ops will start up in an environment that’s bringing down mills owned by major corporations.

When the Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls paper mills shut down, they sucked away jobs – and not just from the people who physically worked in the plants.

Northwoods loggers and truck drivers also took a major blow.

Now mill workers and timber professionals are teaming up to take control of their livelihood by forming multi-stake holder cooperatives to purchase and run the idled mills.

Here’s how that works, according to co-op administrator Don Peterson.

“It’s made up of different classes,” he explains. “One class would be the loggers, another the mill workers and a third is industry allies, which fits everyone else in, like landowners, log truckers, anybody else who has livelihood dependent on that mill.”

Each of those classes elects members of a governing board, which gives everyone equal representation in the business.

“We aren’t a family, but the cooperative would give that type of feel to it,” Peterson says.

He hopes this type of ownership will keep the mills operating through good times and bad, to the benefit of all these local workers.

“If you have a market downturn, you won’t necessarily shut the doors,” he says. “You’ll say, everybody has to tighten their belt a little bit to make it through, but we’re going to all be in it together. And that’s the difference – everybody gets and everybody gives together.”

But are there still good times left for the paper industry? Or is demand for certain paper products drying up for good?

Paul Fowler, the director of the Wisconsin Institute of Sustainable Technology at UW-Stevens Point, is cautiously optimistic.

“I think if the co-op formulates its management and leadership with a team that is remarkably well-versed in the opportunities within the paper industry, if it’s able to manage its debt in a way that doesn’t stifle its ability to innovate and make capital investments, and if it’s able to procure long-term customers and partners, then I don’t think the cooperative model is one which we would say it’s not going to work,” he says. “But it depends on all those pieces of the jigsaw coming together and making a nice picture.”

Fowler says the co-ops’ success will depend on their ability to tweak their products to meet changing demand.

He says demand exists, especially amidst a backlash of plastics, but the challenge lies in maintaining enough capital to invest in the really expensive equipment sometimes needed to make those tweaks.

“So long as there’s customers for that product,” he says, “and so long as the mill can be nimble enough to respond, or heaven forbid, proactive enough to lead and change the way that folks think about fiber, then there’s a lot of opportunity.”



Source link

Previous Post

‘It’s not looking very good,’ say the people growing your food under sweltering heat 

Next Post

Why Crozet: Sweet Family Business Remains Fruitful into Second Century

GrR

GrR

Green Reporter is a global source for news of sustainability, green industry, green technology, clear energy, sustainable food production, and green investments. Our aim is to deliver the best news and information to you.

Next Post
Why Crozet: Sweet Family Business Remains Fruitful into Second Century

Why Crozet: Sweet Family Business Remains Fruitful into Second Century

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Climate change in our backyard: Manitoba begins to grapple with the consequences – Winnipeg

Climate change in our backyard: Manitoba begins to grapple with the consequences – Winnipeg

August 10, 2021
Repsol starts marketing debut sustainability-linked bond sale

Repsol starts marketing debut sustainability-linked bond sale

June 29, 2021
Sustainability Ambitions Soaring at KCI

Sustainability Ambitions Soaring at KCI

December 6, 2021
Chris Pratt explains where the White Spikes originated

Chris Pratt explains where the White Spikes originated

July 3, 2021
Stop burning our rights! What governments and corporations must do to protect humanity from the climate crisis – World

Stop burning our rights! What governments and corporations must do to protect humanity from the climate crisis – World

Biden said to mull dropping corporate tax hike to fund jobs plan

Biden said to mull dropping corporate tax hike to fund jobs plan

Global investors pressure Asian utilities to cut emissions

Global investors pressure Asian utilities to cut emissions

Global inequity could derail path to net zero

Global inequity could derail path to net zero

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

August 12, 2022
Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

August 12, 2022
EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

August 12, 2022
Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

August 12, 2022

Recent News

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

August 12, 2022
Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

August 12, 2022
EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

August 12, 2022
Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

Immune system insights and Thai climate calculator: News from the College | Imperial News

August 12, 2022

Recent News

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

What’s With A24’s Religious Obsession?

August 12, 2022
Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $16 Million Affordable Housing Development in Monroe County

August 12, 2022
EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

EU ban on Russian coal enters into force

August 12, 2022

Browse by Category

  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation

Follow Us

  • Privacy & Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

© 2021 Copyright Green Reporter

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Filmmaking
  • Food
  • Investment
  • Management
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • Transportation

© 2021 Copyright Green Reporter