Sen. Testin Works a Day at Domtar Mill
City Times Staff
NEKOOSA — Senator Patrick Testin paid a special visit to Nekoosa’s Domtar Mill on Wednesday as a part of his series “On the Job”.
Testin worked a full day with employees from Domtar Corporation; a company that employs nearly 450 people in the area.
“The largest employer in Nekoosa, with an economic impact of more than $350 million in the region, Domtar is an invaluable part of the Wisconsin economy and community—and clearly a great place to work,” said Senator Testin. “Beyond their outstanding economic contributions to the region, Domtar is also a committed community investor—regularly donating books to children in our local schools, supporting regional initiatives to end hunger and support victims of domestic violence, and providing a habitat to endangered species on their mill property, part of which also serves as a recreational area for public use.”
According to Testin, the “On the Job with Patrick Testin” series takes the Senator to a different Central or Western Wisconsin business each month where he works a full day alongside the company’s employees. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Workforce Development, Military Affairs, and Senior Issues, Senator Testin’s series aims to highlight local job opportunities in the region, in order to demonstrate the number and variety of quality jobs available in the 24th District.
“Domtar is honored and excited that Senator Testin was interested in joining us today, and that he took such a hands-on approach to learning about how we develop paper, pulp, and biomaterials here at our Nekoosa Mill,” said Craig Timm, Regional Communications Manager at Domtar. “We’re proud to be recognized by the Senator as an employer of choice in the region and as a steadfast community partner to the great city of Nekoosa.”
The Nekoosa Mill makes different papers that have thousands of applications, including receipts and labels, bacon board and fast food wrap, sugar pouches, sticky paper, books and fluorescent sheets. The mill also generates pulp and biomaterials. Making the most of raw materials used at the Nekoosa Mill is important to the mill’s economic efficiency and its environmental promise. Biomaterials such as turpentine and tall oil, which are byproducts of the papermaking process, are sold to refiners and manufacturers, who use the materials to make flavors, fragrances, soaps, lubricants, inks and other products. Bark, another biomaterial, is transferred to Domtar’s neighboring mill in Rothschild, Wis., where it’s used in a biomass boiler to generate steam for the mill and electricity for a utility partner.