Clearwater Paper to lay off 23 employees in Lewiston amid restructuring efforts
Company-wide workforce reductions include 50 unfilled positions at the Idaho mill as it shifts focus to pulp and paperboard production
Clearwater Paper Corp. announced that 23 employees will lose their jobs at the Lewiston mill, located in the state of Idaho, in the United States, as part of a company-wide layoff plan. The cuts include eight salaried employees, who have already been notified, and 15 hourly positions, which will be determined in collaboration with the workers’ union.
“We’ll work with the union to determine how best to align our hourly head count with our operating needs,” said Virginia Aulin, vice president of public affairs, in an interview with the Tribune.
Additionally, the company will eliminate 50 unfilled positions at the Lewiston facility. With these changes, Clearwater Paper’s workforce at the mill will be reduced to approximately 680 employees.
The mill also employs 500 workers in the tissue manufacturing area, which was acquired by Sofidel America Corp. in November in a US$1.06 billion transaction. Sofidel, a subsidiary of Italy-based Sofidel S.p.A., took over all of Clearwater Paper’s tissue operations, while the U.S. company now focuses on pulp and paperboard production.
The Lewiston cuts are part of a 10% global workforce reduction by Clearwater Paper. In total, 250 positions will be eliminated, but only about 135 of those jobs were occupied.
According to Aulin, even after many employees transferred to Sofidel, the company’s overhead costs remain high for its new business model. Additionally, the paperboard market is experiencing a downturn, with a new competitor expected to enter the sector in the second half of 2025.
These factors led to the layoffs, but the company assures it is offering support to affected employees. “We are offering severance packages, health care subsidies, and outplacement services to the salaried employees who were cut,” Aulin said.
The executive emphasized the company’s commitment to the Lewiston community. “We value our relationships in the Lewiston community. We have great assets here and are committed to maintaining and improving the performance of our assets as we get through the market downturn and into the future.”
In late 2024, rumors emerged that the Brazilian company Suzano S.A. was interested in acquiring Clearwater Paper. However, Suzano denied having any such plans. Aulin reaffirmed that the company does not comment on market speculation.
“Our goal is to become … a premier independent paperboard packaging supplier to North American converters,” Aulin stated. “That’s our strategy, which is why we sold (the tissue operations) and we bought the Augusta paperboard mill in Georgia in the spring. That is our future goal.”
