Staff
Changes are coming to the Abzac core plant in Fort Frances.
South Carolina-based Sonoco Products Company did purchase the business related to Abzac’s Fort Frances tube and core plant, Roger Schrum, Sonoco’s vice-president of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, confirmed in an e-mail to the Times.
“We did not purchase the plant, but will lease a portion of the plant for pre-cut services of cores to our customers,” Schrum noted.
“These cores are used by the paper industry to wind paper products.
“As you are aware, there have been a number of permanent shutdowns of paper mills in this region, including mills in Kenora, Dryden, Thunder Bay, and Sault Ste Marie, Pine Falls,” he added.
Schrum said the Fort Frances plant will continue to be operated by Abzac over the next 90 days as the company transitions the business into existing Sonoco facilities.
“Sonoco will continue to operate a smaller scale converting operation in Fort Frances to continue to provide core pre-cut services, and will include approximately five workers,” he added.
