Gov. John Lynch today announced Fraser Papers has reached an agreement to sell the paper mill in Gorham to MM Consulting and Contracting Company, which if finalized would save the mill and about 240 jobs. 

“I extremely pleased that we were able work together to identify a buyer with a plan to keep the mill open. This mill is important to the North Country economy, and it’s important that we keep our workers employed,” Gov. Lynch said. “It is because of the workers – and their skills and strong work ethic – that made this agreement possible.” 

In September, Fraser Papers announced it would be shutting down the mill indefinitely on Oct. 13, after a potential purchaser could not secure sufficient financing. The State of New Hampshire has been working with Fraser find a buyer that would continue to operate the mill. 

“I want to thank Governor Lynch for all of his efforts. The Governor took an active role in seeking a new buyer for the mill, and it is part of his deep commitment to the North Country,” said Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier. “Governor Lynch made available (Department of Resources and Economic Development) Commissioner George Bald and all the resources the state could offer to save the mill. I am forever grateful to the Governor and George Bald for all their efforts and their commitment to the people of the North Country. It is truly a beautiful day in Gorham and Berlin.” 

Gov. Lynch recently met with representatives of MM Consulting and Contracting Company to discuss the purchase of the mill. The Department of Resources and Economic Development made it a priority to identify a buyer that would keep the mill open.  

If the agreement is finalized and the mill reopens, a project to bring a gas line to the mill to help reduce operating costs will also move forward. The $4 million project is being funded from various local, state and federal sources.  

“I want to thank George Bald and the staff at DRED who worked tirelessly to try and keep the mill open. And I want the thank Senator Jeanne Shaheen for her efforts, including securing federal funding for the gas line project,” Gov. Lynch said.

Tags: Fraser Papers, MM Consulting and Contracting Company, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, Paul Grenier, Senator Jeanne Shaheen

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 12:08 pm and is filed under NH Business Matters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.