Domtar slashes production at US plant

MONTREAL—Paper manufacturer Domtar is scaling back operations at its Ashdown, Ark. plant.

The pulp and paper mill will shut down one of four paper machines, cutting production capacity by approximately 125,000 short tons. About 110 of the plant’s 1,050 employees will lose their jobs.

The mill will still operate three fiber lines, a pulp dryer and three paper machines for a yearly production capacity of approximately 810,000 metric tonnes of pulp and 780,000 short tons of paper.

President and CEO John Williams blamed the cuts on reduced demand for uncoated freesheet paper in North America.