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Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:34 pm
by Super Chief
It was announced today Graphic Pkg. WP would be closing its doors June 30. This has been in the works when they announced building their new plant in Kalamazoo. They said there was 2 years to go for the employees but with the discovery of PFAS compounds on the grounds and in the watershed around the plant last week that was the final nail in the coffin. GDLK and Pioneer did them a good job and its too bad.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:19 am
by AARR
Super Chief, how much business did they generate for MSO?

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 7:15 am
by Super Chief
A few kaolin (Theil) cars a month. Not sure how much product went out by rail? Maybe 1trackmind could fill us in on that? In two years the new Kalamazoo plant was to replace this mill plus Battle Creek, Middletown Oh, East Angus Canada and the current Kazoo plant. What they call capacity neutral. Total would be 600,000 tons/year of recycled cardboard. This mill was currently 70,000 tons/year of that.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:12 am
by AARR
Thank you Super Chief. I don't think anything other than the kaolin used rail service.
Super Chief wrote:A few kaolin (Theil) cars a month. Not sure how much product went out by rail? Maybe 1trackmind could fill us in on that? In two years the new Kalamazoo plant was to replace this mill plus Battle Creek, Middletown Oh, East Angus Canada and the current Kazoo plant. What they call capacity neutral. Total would be 600,000 tons/year of recycled cardboard. This mill was currently 70,000 tons/year of that.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:31 am
by Super Chief
There's going to be a bigger hit for the local trucking companies that ship and store this product. P&P, CMS and some mom and pop local drivers had a lot of outbound loads as the trailers sitting outside attested to.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 11:29 am
by AARR
The good thing about trucks is they can drive to other cities and pick up loads there too :mrgreen:
Super Chief wrote:There's going to be a bigger hit for the local trucking companies that ship and store this product.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 2:53 pm
by 1TrackMind
Super Chief wrote:There's going to be a bigger hit for the local trucking companies that ship and store this product. P&P, CMS and some mom and pop local drivers had a lot of outbound loads as the trailers sitting outside attested to.
Most likely LC Howard will be going gang busters once the new plant is done. So hopefully if need be some displaced truck drivers could find work with them.

As for out bound traffic I never saw any product go out by rail.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:45 pm
by AARR
Seems like one of the LC Howards always has a bunch of box cars on its spurs. They have several other local warehouses with spurs too.
1TrackMind wrote:
Super Chief wrote:There's going to be a bigger hit for the local trucking companies that ship and store this product. P&P, CMS and some mom and pop local drivers had a lot of outbound loads as the trailers sitting outside attested to.
Most likely LC Howard will be going gang busters once the new plant is done. So hopefully if need be some displaced truck drivers could find work with them.

As for out bound traffic I never saw any product go out by rail.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 11:17 pm
by GP30M4216
That's too bad about White Pigeon Paper/Graphics Pkging closing up shop early. They were always a reliable customer for Michigan Southern in all of its various iterations. The problem with a paper plant is that it can't really be repurposed for any other use, so no chance of another potential customer moving in.

The new Graphic Packaging plant in Kalamazoo, is it being built on the existing site north of BO near the old Checker Motors plant>? Or is it being built somewhere else?

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:27 pm
by NS3322
GP30M4216 wrote:That's too bad about White Pigeon Paper/Graphics Pkging closing up shop early. They were always a reliable customer for Michigan Southern in all of its various iterations. The problem with a paper plant is that it can't really be repurposed for any other use, so no chance of another potential customer moving in.

The new Graphic Packaging plant in Kalamazoo, is it being built on the existing site north of BO near the old Checker Motors plant>? Or is it being built somewhere else?
The new plant is being built on the old Checker Motors site.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 10:36 pm
by MQT1223
GP30M4216 wrote:That's too bad about White Pigeon Paper/Graphics Pkging closing up shop early. They were always a reliable customer for Michigan Southern in all of its various iterations. The problem with a paper plant is that it can't really be repurposed for any other use, so no chance of another potential customer moving in.

The new Graphic Packaging plant in Kalamazoo, is it being built on the existing site north of BO near the old Checker Motors plant>? Or is it being built somewhere else?
Reliable how? It sounds like as of late they were only switching them out maybe once a week or every other week.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 10:15 pm
by GP30M4216
Reliable how? It sounds like as of late they were only switching them out maybe once a week or every other week.
They would usually have cars spotted on their spur. Even if not switched every day, I would call that reliable.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 9:31 am
by Ben Higdon
1TrackMind wrote:
Super Chief wrote:There's going to be a bigger hit for the local trucking companies that ship and store this product. P&P, CMS and some mom and pop local drivers had a lot of outbound loads as the trailers sitting outside attested to.
Most likely LC Howard will be going gang busters once the new plant is done. So hopefully if need be some displaced truck drivers could find work with them.

As for out bound traffic I never saw any product go out by rail.
Would be great if LC Howard took over the former Green Bay Packaging site for this business-kitty corner across Mosel/Pitcher from Graphic Packaging

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:48 pm
by GP30M4216
I made it to White Pigeon yesterday expecting to see the old paper mill shuttered and quiet. Things are definitely ramping down but it looks like production did extend beyond the planned June 30 closure date. I expect these are probably the final two loads of kaolin delivered to the 100 year old plant.
IMG_0752.jpg
The almost endless line of tractors and trailers has thinned considerably. A few cars were in the parking lot. The spur is getting overgrown.

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/20 ... -mill.html

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:04 pm
by NS3322
Looks like the plant was saved by OX Industries in September. Anyone know if they are still using rail?
https://www.paperage.com/2020news/09_18 ... _mill.html

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 11:00 pm
by Super Chief
Can't confirm but 1 track mind migjt know. I heard Ox which has the plant in Constantine just 5 miles away from this one did purchase it. Don't know how many jobs it saved?

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 11:08 pm
by 1TrackMind
Heard they were supposed to increase out put, but I didn't know they bought this plant.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 8:22 pm
by GP30M4216
Wow, I didn’t realize the plant had been sold instead of shut down. That’s great news for White Pigeon employees and hopefully the Michigan Southern RR too.

Re: Graphic Packaging White Piegon

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:55 pm
by AARR
According to a newspaper article the OX White Pigeon plant will no longer make coated card board so I don't think they'll receive tank cars anymore

There is a 2nd spur to the docks for inbound/outbound cardboard but I doubt they'll ship any of that by rail and if they did reopen it would take some work to reopen