Vt. mill to provide paper for final Harry Potter book
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The cover of the seventh, and last, Harry Potter book. |
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Associated Press - Published: May 2, 2007
GILMAN — The Dirigo Paper Company mill has won a contract to provide recycled paper that will be used in some editions of the next, and final, Harry Potter book.
The Canadian and Australian editions of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will be printed on paper manufactured along the Connecticut River in northeastern Vermont.
"We're not wizards but we like to think we've done a pretty good job," said Dirigo Paper's Peter Hanson. "We're very excited to be the mill that's been selected for these two editions."
The $2.5 million contract for the wizard paper is a big turnaround for the mill that was closed for two years after its previous owner declared bankruptcy.
The mill closed in 2002. It reopened in August 2004 after it was purchased by Hanson.
Hanson turned the mill around by focusing on getting new business and by using recycled paper. He's hired back almost all of the employees. Now 119 people from Vermont and New Hampshire make about $18 an hour, more than other area jobs.
"We've been unstable since 1999," said employee Steven Bean, "So it's nice to be climbing in the right direction."
Hanson said demand in the book industry was strong for recycled paper.
"There will be other books," said Hanson. "We're doing Al Gore's book, the Assault on Reason book. It's a smaller order but we've had a growing book paper business."
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