J. Ford shuts Quebec roof felt, tissue mill

Pulp & Paper, Sep 2003

SPECIALTY PAPERS

The J. Ford Co. specialty paper mill in Portneuf, Que., filed bankruptcy documents and announced it is shutting down and putting 180 people out of work. The company was taken over by lumber producer Groupe Cedrico in 1995, and union officials said the mill had struggled to remain profitable.

During the time Cedrico owned the mill, production was cut back from five paper machines to three, producing 50 mtpd of roofing felt paper and 52 mtpd of toweling and napkins and MF and MG wrapping tissue papers. Some specialty grades like masking tape base papers and filter papers were dropped.

The Cedrico Group operates six sawmills in eastern Quebec, producing mainly softwood lumber, as well as the Kanenda wood panel plant in MontLaurier, Quebec; the J. Ford paper mill in Portneuf near Quebec City; and the Rensell Paper converting plant in Mississauga, Ont. The group has annual sales of C$130 million and 800 employees.