Students from the Grenada School District’s Advanced Manufacturing program recently participated in a technical visit to Domtar’s paper mill, located in Grenada, Mississippi. The activity is part of an educational initiative developed in partnership with Holmes Community College and aimed to bring the students closer to the industrial environment, showing how the knowledge acquired in the classroom applies to modern manufacturing.
During the visit, the participants were welcomed by Karen Roach, the unit’s general manager, and her team. They were given a presentation on the plant’s operations, focusing on safety, quality and efficiency – the fundamental pillars of industrial production. The students also learned about the different career opportunities within the plant, including areas such as machine operation, engineering, maintenance, quality control and logistics.
As well as understanding the unit’s strategic role for the local and regional economy, the students were able to observe the complete newsprint manufacturing process, from the processing of wood to the final cutting of the product. Newsprint, known for being lightweight, low-cost and with a high ink absorption capacity, is widely used in the printing of newspapers and other commercial publications.
The program gave the students practical experience that complements the course content. They saw up close how raw materials are transformed into finished products and how the work of each professional contributes to the overall performance of the plant. The visit also sparked interest in new professional possibilities in the sector.
Recognized as one of the most modern plants in North America, Domtar’s plant in Grenada was built in 1989 and stands out for producing newsprint with high quality standards and competitive costs. The plant has the capacity to serve publishers in the United States, Mexico and Latin America, and its strategic location near the Gulf Coast ports facilitates export logistics. The plant is also a benchmark in sustainable practices and has been recognized several times by the Tennessee Valley Authority for its energy efficiency actions. The plant currently employs 169 direct employees and impacts more than 500 indirect jobs in the region.
The initiative reinforces the mission of the Grenada School District/Holmes Community College Advanced Manufacturing program to prepare students for the job market by connecting technical learning with hands-on experience in high-performance industrial environments.
