Earlier this month the Pope and Talbot pulp mill in Halsey, 30 miles north of Eugene, closed suddenly. The mill had been operating since 1968.
Even with rumors of a possible last-minute buyout, about 180 people are now out of work as Chapter 7-bankruptcy liquidation proceedings take place.
This could be an anomaly, or it could be a symptom of recession and a weak U.S. dollar, but whatever the case, it is an example of a failure of an organization that attempted, or so it seems, to make itself a sustainable fixture in a community – socially, financially and environmentally.
It is curious to browse the Pope and Talbot Web site. It has not been updated to reflect the recent closures, so it looks like business as usual. Though most of the information proclaims the vitality of its operations and strategies, it also lists a live feed to the Pope and Talbot stock price – now at $0.03.
It is creepily voyeuristic to read the online remnant of this organization before it is completely mothballed in cyberspace. The corporate Web site praises its pulp business and its production of “bleached kraft pulp for newsprint, writing paper and tissue manufacturers.” It goes on to proclaim that its mills “are a vital part of the communities in which we operate, with over 2,500 employees.”
It may be just popular rhetoric to publicly posture as being vital to the local community and helping to stabilize the local society with a tax base and jobs, but Oregon has seen decades of reduction in timber-related businesses and jobs that has had a severe impact on communities.
An employer that leaves a small community suddenly will have significant impacts on that community. Pope and Talbot’s Web page also describes how the company followed ongoing traditions that “ensure that we serve our customers, communities and shareholders through varying economic and profitability cycles.” Financial sustainability is the key factor that allows businesses to remain in a community and to try and help provide the sort of social sustainability that many people are seeking, especially in these days of economic downturn.
As a resource-extraction company, Pope and Talbot also described its environmental philosophy. The Web site describes procedures and measures in forest management and industrial processes that seem to reflect the current atmosphere of concern with all things climate-and-environment-related. The company’s short statement outlines how “environmental stewardship is more than a corporate philosophy – it is an operating strategy that extends from the forest to our manufacturing processes. We recognize that our future depends on sustaining and managing the health of the ecosystems supporting productive forest lands, as well as on utilizing environmentally responsible manufacturing processes in our cycle of success.”
In addition to having operated in the Pacific Northwest since 1849, Pope and Talbot seems to have at least made fairly convincing efforts to be portrayed as a socially and environmentally responsible corporate individual. Despite this, and because timber jobs often get the short end of the stick in discussions about environmental conservation and ways in which human societies can exist without degrading ecosystems, it is easier to let timber jobs go.
There was recently a debate here at the University about whether or not the Holy Cow Café in the Erb Memorial Building should be awarded a new lease. The initial decision was one largely based on financial sustainability – the space was awarded to a business that was seen as better suited to be financially successful. However, given public sentiment and pressure, Laughing Planet Café turned down the lease, leaving Holy Cow the opportunity to add a revitalized financial performance to its credentials as a socially and environmentally sustainable business.
Maybe 30 miles is too far away for University students and Eugene residents to rally for the Halsey mill workers. But failing to recognize that the local mill helped provide our “newsprint, writing paper and tissue,” as well as stable and sustainable jobs, would be a shame.
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