Vicenza, Italy 24 July 2012 -- There is no future for the paper machine PM 1 at the Avezzano paper mill in Italy. Burgo will permanently close PM 1, taking 120,000 tpy of coated woodfree and one-side coated paper out of the market.

Burgo Group plans to reduce its coated fine paper capacity and will idle paper machine PM 1 at the Avezzano mill for good. A spokesperson of the Avezzano branch of Italy’s Slc-Cgil trade union told EUWID that Burgo announced the permanent closure of PM 1 at a meeting with employee representatives held on 17 July in Rome. The number of employees at the Avezzano mill will decrease as a consequence of the partial closure of the site from currently 445 to around 290, the union spokesperson added.

PM 1 has a production capacity of 120,000 tpy of coated woodfree and one-side coated papers. In 2012, the paper machine PM 1 was repeatedly taken offline for several weeks due to poor demand and has been for market-related reasons.

Burgo declined to comment on the closure of PM 1 and the loss of more than 150 jobs at the Avezzano paper mill in Italy's Abruzzo region.