Prospective buyer for Kimberly paper mill

KIMBERLY - A prospective buyer has come forward, interested in purchasing the closed Kimberly NewPage mill. But a study will be needed to determine how much it would cost to revamp the paper machines.

"That plant meant the thriving of this village, a lot of employees, a lot of families," said Stephen Glasheen, who worked at the plant for 32 years.

Ohio-based NewPage closed the facility two years ago, putting about 600 people out of work. NewPage noted an excess of capacity in the paper industry. It's willing to sell the plant, but only to a company which wouldn't compete with its other facilities.

About two weeks ago, an undisclosed prospective buyer came forward, according to Kimberly Village administrator Rick Hermus.

That company is willing to chip in $175,000 towards a $300,000 study to determine what work would need to be done to convert the paper machines to produce other grades of paper. The Village Board and Outagamie Co. Board will meet next week on $50,000 contributions each to the project, with the state Dept. of Commerce agreeing to add $25,000.

"It's very difficult to spend public tax dollars for an investment like this in a private industry," said Hermus. "But when you look at the prospect of creating 500 new jobs -- the cost, we see, is relatively minimal in that respect."

Hermus said employment numbers are just estimates at this point.

The study could be completed by year's end. Hermus had no timeframe for when a decision of purchase could be made, but he called it the best lead since the plant closed.