MEMPHIS, Tenn. — International Paper will see "approximately" 650 people laid off from the company, including roughly 400 jobs in Memphis.
Company officials confirmed the layoffs with ABC24 Tuesday saying, "International Paper is undergoing a transformational journey to become a stronger, more profitable sustainable packaging solutions company. A critical step in this journey is to organize our teams and resources to create the most value for customers and shareholders. As a result, we are reorganizing our corporate overhead structure."
The company said severance packages, outplacement assistance and mental health resources will be made available to all affected employees.
Company officials did not share more information on the layoffs in Memphis.
The company, which is headquartered in Memphis, saw shutdowns in multiple states for plants in Texas, North Carolina and Florida in 2023, which saw roughly 900 workers affected.
IP said a containerboard mill would permanently close in Orange, Texas, and leaving 17 mills in operation in North America. The Orange mill is expected to cease production by end of the year.
The shutdown of two pulp machines will happen at two plants – one in Riegelwood, North Carolina, and the other in Pensacola, Florida. The Riegelwood machine is expected to cease production by the end of the year, while the Pensacola machine is already idled and will not resume production.
The company said in total about 900 workers would be impacted between all three locations, which they hope to minimize by using current vacancies, retirements, and normal attrition.