{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-applaud-sappi-north-americas-investment-in-skowhegan-paper-mill", "Senators Collins, King Applaud Sappi North America\u2019s Investment in Skowhegan Paper Mill", "2018-09-26", "2018", "2018-09", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins\r\n(R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the announcement\r\nfrom SappiNorth America, Inc.that the company has completed an\r\ninvestment project at the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan. The investment of more\r\nthan $200 million will help the mill diversify its manufacturing line by\r\nexpanding into paperboard packaging, while retaining its leadership position in\r\nthe graphic paper market. The mill will now have an annual production capacity\r\nof almost one million tons per year. The Somerset Mill supports approximately\r\n800 jobs in Skowhegan, and 1,300 jobs in Maine. The forest products industry\r\ncontinues to be a vital part of our state's economy, particularly in rural\r\ncommunities, said Senators Collins and King. It is critical that\r\ncompanies make long-term investments and pursue forward-thinking strategies to\r\nrespond to changing market demands. Sappi has done just that with their recent\r\ninvestment and upgrades at the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, which supports\r\nhundreds of jobs across Maine. We are thrilled by the completion of this\r\nproject and look forward to working alongside Sappi and other community and industry\r\nleaders to find new market opportunities for Maine's forest-products industry\r\nto thrive. Senators Collins and King have been\r\nstrong supporters of Maine's forest economy.In 2016, they called on\r\ntheU.S. Department of Commerce to establish the Economic\r\nDevelopment Assessment Team (EDAT), which would work across agencies and\r\nsectors to create strategies for job growth and economic development in Maine's\r\nrural communities. The creation of the EDAT and subsequent federal funding from\r\nthe EDA and U.S. Forest Service established the 2018\r\nFOR/Maine Initiative, an industry-led effort that released the following\r\nrecommendations earlier this week to grow Maine's forest economy: \r\nInvest, Innovate, Grow-\r\nSustain and grow Maine's existing and emerging forest products economy. \r\nManage Sustainably-\r\nManage the wood resource using sustainable and responsible forest management\r\npractices. \r\nDevelop Workforce-\r\nPrepare workforce for the future of the forest products economy. \r\nSupport Communities-\r\nIncrease prosperity in Maine forest economy communities, especially those in\r\nrural areas and those affected by mill closures. \r\nCoordinate & Persist-Organize\r\nthe forest products industry with committed public sector partners, including\r\nthe University of Maine, to implement the vision and goals.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-collins-king-applaud-sappi-north-americas-investment-in-skowhegan-paper-mill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.996764749288559, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}