U.S. Paper Converters Inc. announced Monday it's shutting down its Appleton facility, leaving more than 50 people without a job.
It's the latest in a series of devastating closures and layoffs from paper companies in the Fox Valley.
Prior to this, Appleton Coated announced it was in receivership before being sold to a liquidation company. Hundreds of people were laid off, and many are trying to find work through the Bay Area Workforce Development Board.
Some of those laid off employees said they know exactly how the U.S. Paper Converters employees feel.
"You get angry and you get overwhelmed with the emotion of not knowing what tomorrow is going to bring," said Michael McDonald, a laid off worker from Appleton Coated. "We all have families and lives that we have planned."
The Workforce Development Board is also helping employees affected by the U.S. Paper Converters layoffs. The facility will shut down on or around December 31, the company said.
This is the third paper company in two months to lay off employees in the Fox Valley, leaving Outagamie County officials concerned for the community. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson released a statement Tuesday saying:
“For the third time in less than two months, the Paper Valley has been hit hard. At a time when the state is set to spend billions to lure a foreign company, our heritage and core industries are being gutted without explanation or without concern from our state leadership.
This is not just about the loss of fifty jobs, but fifty families, men, women and children being thrust into difficult times and during the holiday season. It is high time we focus our time, resources and money on Wisconsin industry and Wisconsin jobs. Paper is our heritage, and it must be our future.”
NBC26 has reached out to U.S. Paper Converters Inc. but has not heard back.
