Bogalusa Papermill opened in 1918

BY CHRIS KINKAID THE DAILY NEWS

The International Paper Mill in Bogalusa opened in 1918.

According to the fact sheet, the mill is the largest employer in Washington Parish, as it has 475 full-time jobs and hundreds of contractors with an annual payroll of $48 million.

The sheet says that the mill has two paper machines that produce containerboard. End uses include corrugated boxes, bulk packaging and shipping containers.

The mill is also involved in the community.

According to the fact sheet, in 2022, the mill invested $186,000 in donations, contributions and IP Foundation grants to area nonprofits. Eightytwo percent of the mill’s contributions stay in Washington Parish.

The mill has had several owners over the years.

International Paper has owned the mill since 2012.

The first owner was the Great Southern Lumber Company in 1907.

Then the Bogalusa Paper Company took over 1918 before Gaylord Container Corporation was the owner in 1937. In 1955, Crown Zellerbach was the owner before Gaylord Container Corporation was the owner in 1986. Temple-Inland took over 2001 before International Paper became the owner in 2012 and has been the owner ever since.

Basically, the way paper is made is the wood comes off the trucks that you see on the roads and goes into a tumbler, which knocks the bark off, through the chipper and to make pulp.

There are two digesters at the mill.

The wood chips, water and chemicals go into the digester, heat and pres-

PAPERMILL: Has been in Bogalusa for more than 100 years

FROM PAGE 14 sure go in to break that down into pulp until it’s soft and wet. Hot water and chemicals left from the process are cooked down in the recovery area in a close-looped chemical process, meaning that every- thing is used.

The pulp that goes onto the paper machine is 99 percent water.

It’s poured out onto a screen. Then the machine uses gravity, heat, and pressing in the process of getting water out of pulp and drying it into paper.

Founded

1.

I am dedicated to taking the required steps to improve our parish.

2.

I pride myself in my proactive nature, no empty promises.

3. COMMUNITY

I will always put the community’s interest first so that we can work together for a better future.