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Paper Mill celebrates 150 years

ROARING SPRING – Friday was a day of celebration at Appvion’s Roaring Spring Mill.

Company and elected officials, employees and retirees gathered to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the mill by Daniel M. Bare and his partners John Elby and John Morrison in 1866.

“1866 was one year after the end of the Civil War. Everything was brought here by horse and wagon. Think about building a paper mill with picks and shovels, and they did it in less than a year,” said Daniel Hoover, CEO of Roaring Spring Paper Products and a fifth generation descendant of Bare.

Roaring Spring Mayor Ronald Glunt presented a proclamation making Friday Appvion Day in Roaring Spring.

Company officials were pleased to mark the anniversary.

“We are very proud this facility has been operating continuously through 15 decades; that is unheard of in today’s world,” said Phil Pack, mill manager.

“Not too many companies make it to a century let alone the century and a half mark. Profitably producing paper at the same location is indeed rare,” said Appvion CEO Kevin Gilligan. “The Spring Mill has succeeded and thrived because Spring Mill employees have worked with the same purpose of Daniel Bare. While this facility has made paper for 150 years, it was never defined by a single product.”

“You don’t just make paper here; you use the paper-making process here to make something special,” Gilligan said.

The mill operated as the D.M. Bare Paper Co. until 1946 when it was purchased by the Combined Locks Paper Co. of Combined Locks, Wis., later to become Combined Paper Mills.

In 1969, Combined Paper Mills was acquired by the National Cash Register Co., and in 1971 it was merged with Appleton Coated Paper Co. to form Appleton Papers. Over the next 20 years, Appleton Papers operated under several domestic and foreign owners until November 2001, when employees purchased the company. Appleton Papers changed its company name to Appvion Inc. in May 2013.

The mill has succeeded because of the work force and the work ethic of the people, said U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-9th District.

“This plant has proved to be an economic driver in the community. Your commitment and support to the community is so important. We owe you genuine thanks and praise. The products you produce here are high quality. We know you will continue to succeed,” Shuster said.

Appvion’s Roaring Spring Mill employs about 470 people. Those employees produce more than 450 grades of carbonless, security, colored, high-speed inkjet and archival papers on the mill’s three paper machines. The mill is a fully integrated pulp and paper mill, which means the mill processes logs and wood chips to produce the fiber or pulp needed to make paper on site.

Daniel Bare believed in people.

“Daniel Bare believed very strongly that the people that worked there are what makes the business successful. The paper mill started generating job opportunities, and people started moving here. That energy came from businesses Daniel Bare had his hands in. He was a very devout Christian. He believed in the people he was surrounded by. His mission was to establish things in the community so the people could have a good way of life. I am sure he is smiling today,” Hoover said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.

Paper Mill celebrates 150 years

ROARING SPRING – Friday was a day of celebration at Appvion’s Roaring Spring Mill.

Company and elected officials, employees and retirees gathered to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the mill by Daniel M. Bare and his partners John Elby and John Morrison in 1866.

“1866 was one year after the end of the Civil War. Everything was brought here by horse and wagon. Think about building a paper mill with picks and shovels, and they did it in less than a year,” said Daniel Hoover, CEO of Roaring Spring Paper Products and a fifth generation descendant of Bare.

Roaring Spring Mayor Ronald Glunt presented a proclamation making Friday Appvion Day in Roaring Spring.

Company officials were pleased to mark the anniversary.

“We are very proud this facility has been operating continuously through 15 decades; that is unheard of in today’s world,” said Phil Pack, mill manager.

“Not too many companies make it to a century let alone the century and a half mark. Profitably producing paper at the same location is indeed rare,” said Appvion CEO Kevin Gilligan. “The Spring Mill has succeeded and thrived because Spring Mill employees have worked with the same purpose of Daniel Bare. While this facility has made paper for 150 years, it was never defined by a single product.”

“You don’t just make paper here; you use the paper-making process here to make something special,” Gilligan said.

The mill operated as the D.M. Bare Paper Co. until 1946 when it was purchased by the Combined Locks Paper Co. of Combined Locks, Wis., later to become Combined Paper Mills.

In 1969, Combined Paper Mills was acquired by the National Cash Register Co., and in 1971 it was merged with Appleton Coated Paper Co. to form Appleton Papers. Over the next 20 years, Appleton Papers operated under several domestic and foreign owners until November 2001, when employees purchased the company. Appleton Papers changed its company name to Appvion Inc. in May 2013.

The mill has succeeded because of the work force and the work ethic of the people, said U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-9th District.

“This plant has proved to be an economic driver in the community. Your commitment and support to the community is so important. We owe you genuine thanks and praise. The products you produce here are high quality. We know you will continue to succeed,” Shuster said.

Appvion’s Roaring Spring Mill employs about 470 people. Those employees produce more than 450 grades of carbonless, security, colored, high-speed inkjet and archival papers on the mill’s three paper machines. The mill is a fully integrated pulp and paper mill, which means the mill processes logs and wood chips to produce the fiber or pulp needed to make paper on site.

Daniel Bare believed in people.

“Daniel Bare believed very strongly that the people that worked there are what makes the business successful. The paper mill started generating job opportunities, and people started moving here. That energy came from businesses Daniel Bare had his hands in. He was a very devout Christian. He believed in the people he was surrounded by. His mission was to establish things in the community so the people could have a good way of life. I am sure he is smiling today,” Hoover said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.

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