The union representing workers at the Kamloops pulp mill says it fully supports the impending acquisition by Montreal-based Kruger.

Unifor Local 10B President Sheldon Morris tells NL News they’d been hearing rumors about the sale for the last few weeks, adding they’re “very pleased” that Kruger is set to be the new owner.

“They’re into container board, biometrics, real estate, wines, spirits, energy… you name it. They’re kind of a real diverse company,” Morris said. “So, yeah, we’re excited to meet with them in the next few weeks and see what their vision for the mill is.”

Still, he noted they will have questions for Kruger when company officials come to meet with union representatives in the next few weeks, including the future of the mill itself.

“We’ve had a huge turnover and retirees over the last five to seven years,” Morris said. “We have a lot of younger workers here starting their careers, and they’d like to see this mill run for another 20 to 30 years.”

“This is one of the better pulp mills in British Columbia. It’s kind of one of the shining lights as far as pulp mills in B.C. goes and now with Kruger on-board, we’re very excited about the future of this mill.”

Officials with Kruger told NL News they won’t be making any additional public comments about their plans for the mill until such time as they can first meet with their new employees and finalize the acquisition in the next few weeks.

Mayor Ken Christian also thinks the sale of the Kamloops pulp mill to Kruger will be a good move for employees, calling it a “great addition to the economic landscape” in the City.

“Kruger is a Canadian company with a great track record. They’re a major supplier of paper products in North America and I think they see this mill as an integral part of their operation,” Christian told NL News.

“When I first came it was the Weyerhaeuser mill and then it became the Domtar mill and now it will be the Kruger mill. Names change and ownership changes but I think the safety record and the contribution to the economy will remain the same.”

Christian adds he was told about the sale three weeks ago, noting the City plans to meet with the new mill owners as soon as possible.

“Certainly taxation is an issue of topic of conversation,” he said. “We also want to talk to them about the new overhead conveyor. We want to talk to them about some of the environmental initiatives and some of their energy conservation initiatives.”

“[We also want to talk about] the Domtar lands and industrial expansion as well as a secondary access to the mill site. There are a number of projects we are anxious to talk to them about.”

The sale of the mill to Kruger – which was required by Competition Bureau of Canada as part of Domtar’s $3-billion merger with Richmond-based Paper Excellence – is expected to close by the end of next month.

The pulp mill is a major employer in Kamloops with about 350 workers. It is also the largest taxpayer in the city, paying about $5 million in property taxes every year.

– With files from Paul James