| A heavily powered CN local shoves its train across Hwy. 73 and into the yards of Domtar's abandoned Port Edwards, WI paper mill (historically Nekoosa-Edwards Paper Co.) via former MILW rails at Nekoosa Junction, WI, on 4 Jul. '17. The paper mill, built in 1896 by the John Edwards Manufacturing Co., was served by the MILW, SOO, C&NW, and Nekoosa-Edwards Paper Co., so there are 4 yards here. Domtar acquired the facility in '01 and threw 500 Americans out of work in '08. The facility sat abandoned until '13, when Domtar sold it to DMI Acquisitions, LLC, a vague entity which acquires idle industries to strip them of anything salvageable. They claim to be committed to finding new industrial tenants to occupy the facility and take advantage of the extensive rail infrastructure. Some references promise that, with 7-figure assistance from Wisconsin taxpayers, 800 new jobs will replace the 500 that were lost. Time will tell. |