WestRock to close North Charleston paper mill

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The North Charleston paper mill will close on August 31, according to a press release from the paper mill’s owner, WestRock.

The closure is expected to impact about 500 people who are employed at the facility.

“The decision to close a facility and impact the lives of our team members is never easy, and we are committed to assisting our North Charleston team with exploring roles at other WestRock locations and outplacement assistance,” the release said.

WestRock cited “high operating costs and the need for significant capital investment” as the driving factors behind the closure.

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated.