<B>Rock-Tenn Idling Michigan Mill</B>

Rock-Tenn announced plans to shutter its Battle Creek, Mich., recycled paperboard mill. The shutdown follows a number of other paper and paperboard mills that have shut down operations in the area over the past several weeks.

According to Marty Shaw, a spokesman for Rock-Tenn, based in Atlanta, the shutdown will start this weekend and end sometime in February.

The close is being undertaken for inventory adjustments, as is not to be a permanent closing, unlike decisions by other mills in Michigan. The move continues a pattern of significant downtime being taken by paperboard mills throughout North America.

Over the past several months Crown Packaging, and Fox River both announced plans to permanently idle mills in the area, creating concern with smaller communities in this area that are dependent on the paper mills for employment and a tax base.

The Battle Creek mill has one machine producing 100 percent recycled claycoated boxboard for high end markets. Rock-Tenn took ownership of the mill when it acquired Waldorf Corp., several years ago.