Rumford Mill
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pulp and paper |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Founder | Hugh J. Chisholm |
| Headquarters | Rumford , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Kraft pulp, paper |
Number of employees | 621 (2016) |
| Parent | ND Paper LLC (subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited) |
Rumford Mill is a pulp mill and paper mill situated in Rumford, Maine, United States. The site runs two kraft pulp production lines alongside three paper machines, with an annual output of 460,000 tonnes of kraft pulp and 565,000 tonnes of paper. In 2016, the workforce numbered 621 employees. Currently, the mill operates under ND Paper LLC, a subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited, and is marketed as ND Paper–Rumford Mill.
History
The mill was founded in 1901 by entrepreneur Hugh J. Chisholm, who also established the Portland and Rumford Falls Railway (completed in 1892) to utilize the local waterfalls for paper manufacturing. This enterprise laid the groundwork for the Oxford Paper Company. The Chisholm family maintained control until 1967. Rumford gained recognition as the exclusive producer of US Post Office postcards and was the leading US manufacturer of bookpaper. Ownership passed through multiple entities: Ethyl Corporation (1967), Boise Cascade Paper Company (1976), Mead Corporation (1996), Cerberus Capital Management as NewPage (2005), and Catalyst Paper (2015). In 2018, ownership transferred to Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited, a Chinese corporation.
In popular culture
Kerri Arsenault’s 2020 publication Mill Town centers on the mill, blending personal memoir with investigative journalism. The book addresses health issues associated with the mill’s operations.
Environmental impact
In 2021, this facility was identified as one of Maine’s top five polluters.
See also
- Old Town paper mill, another facility owned by the same corporation