A Blast From The Past

Jagerbomb52 · Sep 6, 2019

A promotional/recruitment video for Great Lakes Paper Company where I spent a better part of my life. Glenn Ludlow was an instructor at Confederation College where he created their innovative Film Production Program. Glenn passed away in 2010 at the age of 78.
The 16mm film was produced in 1974 (1972 is a typo). It's worth a view.
I spent 38 years in the Paper Mill on the Paper Machines. Worked my way up to foreman befere retiring on June 1st 2014
How things have changed since this video was made.

butch · Sep 7, 2019

Agustine said:
A promotional/recruitment video for Great Lakes Paper Company where I spent a better part of my life. Glenn Ludlow was an instructor at Confederation College where he created their innovative Film Production Program. Glenn passed away in 2010 at the age of 78.
The 16mm film was produced in 1974 (1972 is a typo). It's worth a view.
I spent 38 years in the Paper Mill on the Paper Machines. Worked my way up to foreman befere retiring on June 1st 2014
How things have changed since this video was made.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Very interesting Agustine.
Where I lived during my career, we had two thriving paper mills. I was a railroad employee for most of my working years. As you might imagine, timber and agriculture is the mainstay in south Ar.
butch

Jagerbomb52 · Sep 7, 2019

Yup up here at one time there where 4 paper mills. one abitibi fine paper mill which made beer labels and printing paper. One abitibi kraft liner paper like brown bags and up to a heavy grade for wrapping products. One other abitibi mill that made newsprint like we did at Great Lakes Paper. All three of abitibi's mill went under during the 2008 recession. A couple tried to come back but just could not make a go of it.
We were luck enough at our mill they installed a Cogeneration turbine with a Installed capacity: 90 megawatts which needed the paper machine to keep running as part of the program.
They are now working very closely with the government to produce different products made from wood fiber. Some pretty interesting things are in the works.

butch · Sep 9, 2019

Agustine said:
Yup up here at one time there where 4 paper mills. one abitibi fine paper mill which made beer labels and printing paper. One abitibi kraft liner paper like brown bags and up to a heavy grade for wrapping products. One other abitibi mill that made newsprint like we did at Great Lakes Paper. All three of abitibi's mill went under during the 2008 recession. A couple tried to come back but just could not make a go of it.
We were luck enough at our mill they installed a Cogeneration turbine with a Installed capacity: 90 megawatts which needed the paper machine to keep running as part of the program.
They are now working very closely with the government to produce different products made from wood fiber. Some pretty interesting things are in the works.

Wow, 4 paper mills! Agustine, does the smell ever get rough in your area? We had or still do have 2 mills operating and at times when the air is heavy and when the wind is right the smell gets obnoxious. A common comment you would hear, "Somebody opened the s*** house door at the paper mill". LOL......
butch

Jagerbomb52 · Sep 9, 2019

Yes the one I worked at had at one time 5 paper machines and two kraft machines. The kraft mill would produce some really bad smells. Depending on how the wind was blowing and if you lived close to the mill you did not hang your laundry out to dry.

When #5 paper machine was installed it was the worlds widest and fastest machine. While being the working forman I broke the worlds speed record for a news print paper machine and produced enough paper in a 12 hour shift if laid out to stretch from Thunder Bay Ontario to St Louis. LOL

I don't miss the place at all but I do miss the fellows I worked with over the 38 years I spent there.