News Job Cuts
Cascades restructuring tissue business in U.S., 300 employees affected

Cascades is restructuring its tissue business, changes that will affect 300 employees in the United States.

The company says it will progressively close plants in Barnwell, S.C., and Scappoose, Ore., and a tissue machine at its St. Helens plant, also in Oregon, starting in July.

Cascades says the changes will reduce costs, create synergies and improve its tissue group’s financial, operational and environmental performance.

The equipment slated for closure has a combined total annual rated capacity of 92,000 short tons of tissue paper and 10 million cases of converted product, but has been operating below capacity.

The company says it will work to mitigate the impact of the cuts by offering to relocate as many employees as possible to its other operations in the United States.

Closure costs, including severance, are expected to total about $20 million to $25 million.