An empty paper mill may soon have some new life. Domtar sold their Port Edwards property to a developer Wednesday. DMI Acquisitions purchased the 192 acre mill along the Wisconsin River for an undisclosed price.
Michelle Moore from DMI says they closed the deal this week. She says they are excited about the potential for the Port Edwards site. “That site is really, really well located and has its extensive rail facilities there. Because of that, we feel that it’s really well positioned for new warehousing and light manufacturing opportunities and right now we’re exploring those opportunities in energy, agriculture, and wood products.”
DMI’s parent company does a lot with scrap metal and resources, and Moore says they wanted to expand into industrial property development. “We’ve been seeking out an opportunity like this for redevelopment for the past three years and this is the first sight of what we hope to be several redevelopment projects, and we cannot be more thrilled.” Moore says the company saw this as a great opportunity to diversify their business.
DMI is now working with community leaders and researching potential uses. Moore says they would like to find a potential business that would be a good fit for the community and complement the existing businesses in the area.
The Port Edwards site includes a 900,000 square foot production facility, a 286,000 square foot climate-controlled warehouse, a 141,000-square foot office building and a 13,000 square foot data center. Domtar will retain ownership of the hydroelectric plant, which they use to produce power for the nearby Nekoosa mill.
The Port Edwards mill closed in June of 2008, putting around 500 workers out of a job.
WSAU