East Millinocket - Jobs are coming to the Millinocket area.

Great Northern Paper plans to start up another paper machine at the East Millinocket Mill.

The mill was purchased by Cate Street Capital in 2011.

We're told starting up Paper Machine #5 will bring 37 new jobs to the mill. A company spokesman says machine #5 will probably run three days a week, at first.

Right now, the mill is operating Paper Machine #6 , and it is making about 150,000 tons of paper on an annual basis, when operating at full capacity. Company officials say the demand is so great for the product, that it makes sense to start up the second machine.

The goal is to have the 37 new employees working by the end of August.

Cate Street Capital is also in the process of starting a new company at the Millinocket mill.

Thermogen would produce torrefied wood products and ship them to coal-fired plants overseas. According to a press release from Cate Street Capital, those facilities will mix the torrefied wood with coal to lower emissions and meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

Thermogen has secured the exclusive North American rights for proprietary microwave technology to produce torrefied wood.

Right now, Thermogen is still going through the state review process, but when things are settled, Thermogen officials expect it will create approximately 25 new jobs.

Print this Story