Sen. Peters tours U.P. Paper in effort to support small manufacturers

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Posted: Aug 7, 2017 / 11:01 PM EDT / Updated: Aug 7, 2017 / 11:01 PM EDT

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MANISTIQUE — The three R’s, reduce, reuse, and recycle, is a practice that a lot of people stick to.

But it’s not very often you get to see what it’s used for….

“At U.P. Paper, we produce 100% recycled natural craft,” said Greg Anderson, General Manager for U.P. Paper. “We use old corrugated containers and other recycled brown paper which is then used for paper bags which you’d see in McDonald’s, and also for a filler in any package you might get with a paper filler.”

It’s no wonder that the Manistique area suffered when the 95 year old mill shut down in 2015.

But, it wasn’t long after that the mill was purchased, and re-opened in 2016.

Starting with less than 5 employees, U.P. Paper now employees nearly 100 people.

Lars Dannberg, President and CEO UP Paper, said, “100 people, or 100 families, working here means that maybe 300 or 400 families are dependent on us. That’s truckers, that’s gas stations, everything. So, it’s really really good for this community. It may be the only industry in the area.”

Senator Gary Peters, (D)-MI, toured the mill today in effort to help U.P. Paper get federal funding, and receive the capital they need for machines and equipment.

“You can’t start a business, you can’t operate a business, you can’t grow a business if you don’t have access to financing,” said Peters. “Some of that financing tends to go primarily to large urban areas, and that’s unacceptable. We’ve got to make sure our rural communities all across the state have access to the kind of capital and financing necessary.”

Peters said that he will continue to work with small manufacturers and businesses across the U.P.