After paper mill closure, Millinocket, Maine bets on tourism and new industry
Millinocket, Maine, is transitioning its economy toward tourism and new industries following the 2008 closure of the Great Northern Paper Company. The town, which was once entirely dependent on the mill for jobs and infrastructure, is now redefining its identity.
Why it matters
It highlights the long-term economic and social challenges faced by 'company towns' when their primary industrial employer shuts down.
Millinocket, Maine, was once a quintessential company town built around the paper industry. For generations, the Great Northern Paper Company provided jobs, stability and a sense of community to thousands of residents. But when the mill shut down in 2008, the impact went far beyond job losses, changing the town’s economy, population and identity.YouTuber Peter Santenello explored the town and its history in a recent episode on his Peter Santenello YouTube channel, meeting longtime residents and business owners to understand what happened to the community after the mill’s closure.A town built around the paper millSantenello met Dick, a longtime Millinocket resident who was closely associated with the paper mill and was involved when it eventually shut down.
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