Canton paper mill closes after 115 years

Oct 09, 2023

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Sarah Smith is getting ready for her last day.

"[I’m] kind of sad, but almost like the inevitable is finally here. It's happening. The day we’ve all dreaded since March 6," Smith said.

After 115 years, the Pactiv Evergreen plant in Canton closed Thursday.

"It is a weird feeling though, going into work knowing that when you come back out, that you’re not going back in," Smith, a paper mill worker, said.

She's been working at the mill for a year, but after today everything will change, like waking up at 3 a.m.

"The smell. They always said it was the smell of money growing up. That's what everybody knew Canton for," said Smith, a Canton native.

But that smell is what makes it Paper Town.

"There's always been a sense of pride being a mill worker," she said.

As Smith heads to her last shift, she says this isn't just a mill.

"It was like a second family to the people that work here. It's just weird that it's just going to be gone. Like seeing no smoke coming out, it's a weird feeling," Smith said.

For many, working at the mill provided a sense of security that isn't there anymore.

"I was planning on retiring from here, so that's unfortunate," Smith said.

But she says there's always a silver lining.

"No matter how awful circumstances are, I guess you just gotta keep your head up. That's the mill town mentality," she said.

Smith plans to take the summer off, then return to school in fall to finish her pilot license.