Plant turns on paper machine, turns up impact
SHELBY, Dec 27, 2012 (Menafn - The Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --If you purchase a roll of store-brand paper towels or bathroom tissue at Ingles or other local stores in the coming months, take a close look at the label.
There's a good chance it might display a Clearwater Paper logo, which means it was likely produced right here in Cleveland County.
"That's what our Shelby operation is about, providing products to the East Coast," said Vince Reese, Clearwater's Shelby plant manager. "All the Ingles Laura Lynn (paper) products are now made in Shelby. We call it the Neighbor to Neighbor program, made in North Carolina for North Carolina companies to market."
Clearwater, which first announced plans in June 2010 to build a paper machine and distribution center, started operating the machine this month. The first ton of finished paper product was completed Dec. 13.
Once paper rolls are produced, they are routed to the conversion area of Clearwater's Washburn Switch Road facility to be rolled, sized, packaged and prepared for shipment.
Clearwater now employs 200 total workers at the site in paper production and conversion operations.
Laser-guided robot vehicles with conveyor belts stack products and prepare them for shipment, helping improve safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness for the company, Reese said.
"Now, we're making tons a day," Reese said, adding Clearwater has had no safety issues in its first year of operation on the site. "It's been an incredibly successful startup. That's because of our employees. Everyone knows their job."
When it opened its operation in Shelby, Clearwater provided jobs for many county residents, including some who were unemployed, like Thomas A. Dunn Jr., of Kings Mountain.
"I had been in construction and didn't really miss it," said Dunn, who started on a line converting paper product into consumer-ready paper towels and now operates a machine that prints special designs on rolls of paper towels. "I saw in the paper that they were taking applications and thought I'd give it a try. I've loved the job and the people, and it's very challenging."
Clearwater plans to add to its workforce in the coming year through the expected addition of conversion lines and the capability to produce folded napkin products.
"We'll probably add 30 to 40 employees," Reese said. "Our original commitment to the state was 250 jobs. We'll be close by 2014."
Reach Matthew Tessnear at 704-669-3331, at mtessnear@shelbystar.com or on Twitter @MatthewTessnear.
Clearwater Paper Shelby plant time line
June 2010 -- Plans announced for facility off Washburn Switch Road and eventual 250 jobs and 280 million local capital investment
July 2010 -- Clearwater breaks ground on facility
May 2011 -- First phase of project complete and initial operation at work 24 hours a day
June 2011 -- Plant begins running two conversion lines with paper product shipped in from other sites, work begins on paper production machine
August 2012 -- Company begins final work on paper machine and begins hiring additional employees
Dec. 12, 2012 -- Paper machine begins operation
Dec. 13, 2012 -- First roll of paper produced for conversion to finished commercial product
Coming in 2013 -- Clearwater plans to add additional conversion lines and 30-40 employees
Sources: Clearwater Paper, Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership
Clearwater production by the numbers
3.6 million -- number of cases of paper Shelby plant produced in 2012
7.2 million -- number of cases of paper plant expects to produce in 2013
250 tons -- amount of paper Shelby paper machine can produce in a day
70,000 tons -- amount of paper Shelby paper machine can produce in a year
30 days -- the typical plant supply of pulp product for the paper machine
200 -- number of cores the plant uses a day for wrapping large rolls of paper around
500 miles -- radius Shelby plant focuses on distributing products to
200 -- number of workers Clearwater currently employs at Shelby site
-- NOTE: Some numbers approximate
Source: Clearwater Paper
More about Clearwater Paper
Clearwater Paper manufactures consumer paper products -- including bathroom tissue and paper towels, away-from-home tissue, parent roll tissue, machine-glazed tissue, bleached paperboard and pulp at 15 manufacturing locations in the U.S. and Canada.
The company supplies private-label tissue to grocery, drug, mass merchant and discount stores across the country.
Source: Clearwater Paper
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