11/01/2024
Agencies coordinate to assist those impacted by IP closure; Businesses that are hiring asked to participate in job fair
Georgetown County, SC Works and a coalition of local, regional and state partners have united to assist those impacted by the upcoming closure of the International Paper mill. To aid the hundreds of employees who will lose their jobs, the agencies are coordinating resources, including a job fair and skill development workshops this month.
IP, which has operated its Georgetown mill since 1937, announced on Oct. 31 that it would cease operations by the end of the year. The box plant will remain open, employing about 125. The mill was one of the county’s largest employers and will leave 526 hourly employees and 148 salaried employees without jobs. Additionally, the closure will have a ripple effect, impacting some 200 contractors, as well as local businesses.
In response, Georgetown County and partner organizations began formulating a coordinated assistance plan to mitigate the economic and social impact of the closure. The initial response efforts include Georgetown County Economic Development, SC Works Waccamaw, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, the City of Georgetown, Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments, and the Georgetown County, SC Chamber of Commerce, among others. This group met with IP officials to get a better understanding of shutdown plans and the benefits terminated employees will receive. Then they built a multi-phase support strategy.
A key priority is to help those who will be left unemployed find new positions locally so those families can remain in Georgetown County.
“That is vital to us,” said Angela Christian, Georgetown County Administrator. “Helping these families find good jobs right here so they can continue to call this community home and thrive here is our top priority.”
Following the closure announcement, Christian said she started receiving calls from employers who want to help by hiring. Efforts need to be coordinated, getting all partners on the same page, for the maximum effect.
“There are opportunities here,” Christian said. “As a community, we just have to identify them and be ready to grab them.”
Many mill employees have worked there long-term and haven’t had to job seek for years or even decades, said Kimberly Burke, regional manager for SC Works. The agency will set up at IP Nov. 6, 7 and 8 to assist IP employees with resume writing and other important skills for job seekers. Contractors impacted by the shutdown will be invited to participate also. SC Works staff will work with small groups in one-hour blocks and IP has agreed to provide flexibility to workers to help ensure they can take advantage of the resources. One-on-one coaching sessions will also be available for those interested. Workers can also learn about opportunities for retraining through Horry-Georgetown Technical College.
This will lead up to a two-day job fair that will take place all day at the county’s Howard Center on Hawkins Street Nov. 21-22. Employers are invited to sign up to participate by contacting Maya Morant with Georgetown County Economic Development at [email protected] or (843) 545-3161. About 160 new jobs were created this year by new or expanding industries in Georgetown County. All of those industries are currently hiring and have asked to be included in the upcoming job fair, Morant said.
The job fair marks just the beginning of the community’s response to the closure.
“It’s not going to be a short process,” Christian said. “The impacts felt here are going to be far-reaching.”
IP, which once trucked in 400 pulp loads per day received its last delivery Nov. 1, so impacts will begin being felt immediately for many. The company has promised to make good on commitments to nonprofits for the remainder of this year, but those agencies will also be feeling the impacts of the mill’s closure in 2025.
“This was a shock for our community, and it’s not going to be easy to recover from. But our community is committed to working together to get through this. We’re going to support each other and come through the other side stronger. Team Georgetown is resilient.”
