With first roll complete, Phoenix Paper is officially operating in Wickliffe

The Wickliffe, Kentucky, paper mill is officially back in business. The company that now owns and operates the mill, Phoenix Paper, says employees made the first roll of bleached hardwood pulp Wednesday.

When the previous owner, Verso, officially closed July 1, 2016, More than 300 people lost their jobs. Phoenix Paper — owned by Chinese manufacturer Shanying International — bought the mill last year. Now, Phoenix Paper says about 224 people are working at the Wickliffe facility.

With a news release sent Wednesday, Phoenix Paper says the mill officially restarted operations at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday. The company shared a photo of its first roll of paper pulp, and says it expects to produce about 300,000 tons of it per year.