re: I got Port Hudson’d today. 530 jobs gone

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I’m divorced as 90% of us operator baws are, and the kiddos live with momma. Scares me to think of moving away from them tho, because I’m still very active in their lives.

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Look at Graphic in WM or even the plants in Sterlington.

My Dad went to work for IP two days after college graduation and was one of the ones impacted with the Bastrop closure. He transferred to Mansfield for a few years and is now drawing his full pension as well as working a sweet gig at Graphic at the ripe old age of 62.

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Did IP close down the mill in Bastrop

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Yes. The mill has been completely demolished.

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Simmer down. This isn’t about you

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You’re absolutely right

Markets are constantly evolving and will continue to do so.

I'm curious as to how it is more economical to close the pulp mill and ship pulp in when they will continue to make toilet paper and towels there.

How far away is it going to be shipped in from and how will that impact local logging jobs?

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HogBalls

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Sorry to hear it man. I have been through it myself.

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I remember about 4 years ago when IP closed down in Courtland, AL. It devestaded the whole community. It's a sad fact but paper is a dying industry and regs don't help it either.

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Not sure as it's dying so much as it's shifting and consolidating. Aggregate demand is as high as it has ever been - it's just in corrugate, carton, and the like. The digital economy has sucked for paper in some areas, but it's been a huge boom in others.

I'd probably put a decent bit of blame on higher management as that sort of thing comes down to demand management, product strategy, and understanding industry dynamics.

Really bad news. Have a few relatives still working there. Most of the relatives up there are older, and have already retired from GP. Will be at a family reunion in Crossett next weekend. I'm sure this will be the main topic of conversation.

My dad married a Bastrop girl who's dad worked at the oldest mill there. My dad got on there, and both were part of the exodus to Vidalia, and the Natchez mill, when it was new. He worked for IP for 47 years, and has great retirement.

Different paperless, and defined retirement-less, world we're living in today. Wonder how different it will be when my grand kids reach retirement age.

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GP Crossett pulled a Port Hudson on us today. 530 jobs gone. I’ve never filled out a resume in my life. I had about 25 years in at this mill. Scary times for us baws in the paper industry.
GP Crossett AR

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I feel for ya, OP.

Couple words of advice:

- Take a few days (maybe even the rest of this week) to decompress, maybe have a few cold ones, go out with friends, and all that. Don't think about your professional situation at all for a few days.

- Starting on Monday morning, wake up and go through your normal routine. Instead of going to work, sit down and start treating your job search like a full-time job. Do this every day. Wake up, normal morning routine, then hop on it. Resume building, defining and articulating your skills, research into companies, reaching out to people who work at places you might want to work, thinking long and hard about where you might want to live...all of that.

- Start with your resume then identify two things: what professional skills differentiate you from the crowd and what you'd really want to do with that skillset if you had your choice of jobs.

- Use every professional resource available to you, whether provided by GP, independent, whatever.

- Network like crazy, and never say no to a networking call, whether it's your ex's brother's best friend's boss or something like that.

- Keep your emotions in check. Job searching after a lay off can be an emotional roller-coaster. Try not to get too high or too low with every bit of news or lead or whatever.

- Be a little careful of taking the very first offer that comes across your desk (though, obviously, you shouldn't absolutely turn it down). This is a little like dating advice, but it's true - know your economic and professional value and leverage it. If you don't feel comfortable with the company, salary, whatever, then either go back and negotiate or walk away.

Best of luck, man.

Sorry to hear this man. Best of luck to you and the paper mill baws.