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Burrows Paper Corporation prepares to expand operations in Little Falls

Burrows Paper Corp., a nearly 100 year-old company in the city of Little Falls, is making changes at one of its paper mills to create more jobs and increase revenue.

Rose Mihaly, president and chief operating officer at Burrows, says the plan is to shut down a 90-inch wide paper machine, at its Mill Street location, then use some of the harvested parts to improve the mill's other machine. She says the company wants to increase production to help meet a rising desire for green packaging.

"The fact that paper is recyclable and it can be an alternative to plastic or other non-recyclable products, makes it a product that will likely grow in demand," Mihaly said. "And that's good for New York, and that's good for Burrows."

Although the company is reducing the number of machines at the location, there are plans to hire more workers company wide.

"Our overall expansion - our strategic plan for growth - has created adds to staff." Mihaly explained. "So we are very active in our engagement, in terms of hiring and expanding our capabilities across not only paper but our packaging businesses, as well."

Mihaly says some workers may have to change jobs during the upgrade, but no job losses are expected.

Mark Feane, executive director of the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency, says he is proud to help the company continue to deepen its roots in the community, and that Burrows' growth is an encouraging sign for Herkimer County and the Mohawk Valley.

The upcoming project is scheduled to begin in July and is similar to one already underway at another Burrows mill.

Burrows is a producer of lightweight specialty paper, including sandwich wraps and containers for fast food chains, gift tissues, medical paper and doctor roll. Burrows operates four mills in the United States, three of which are in New York, and five packaging converting plants in the U.S. and overseas.