Legacy Port Huron Paper Celebrates Launch with Community Open House

Paper Machine 8 returns to service under a workforce of Domtar and Dunn Paper veterans, restoring Midwest supply of wide-trim specialty machine-glazed papers.

PORT HURON, MI, UNITED STATES, April 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Paper Machine 8 returns to service under a workforce of Domtar and Dunn Paper veterans, restoring Midwest supply of wide-trim specialty machine-glazed papers.

Legacy Paper, Port Huron, a manufacturer of precision lightweight machine-glazed (MG) wide-trim specialty papers, officially celebrated its launch on Wednesday with a community open house at its facility in Port Huron.

Over 300 attendees marked the return of Paper Machine 8 (PM8) under a workforce reassembled from the two Port Huron mills that built the region’s specialty papermaking reputation over more than a century. Former Domtar and Dunn Paper employees are the people running it today, bringing deep machine knowledge and specialty expertise back to the St. Clair River corridor as one team.

The event featured an address from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, alongside remarks from state and county representatives, local leadership, and project partners. Attendees gathered at the facility at 1700 Washington Avenue for a program that included speeches, a ceremonial paper cutting, refreshments, and guided tours.

“Michigan is open for business and on the move, and nothing exemplifies that better than Legacy Paper’s restart of papermaking in Port Huron,” said Governor Whitmer. “This investment will bring back 82 good-paying jobs from the trades to engineering and operations, cement Michigan’s manufacturing leadership, and restore a Port Huron institution. Let’s keep working together to grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and help more businesses and families ‘make it’ in Michigan.”

In January 2026, Legacy Paper was approved for a $1 million performance-based grant from the Michigan Business Development Program to support machinery upgrades, facility renovations, and the continued growth of specialty papermaking in Port Huron. Grant funds are targeted for distribution in late April 2026.

Leadership from BMI Group and Legacy Paper emphasized the work undertaken to bring the facility back to operational strength.

“The last six months have taken Legacy Paper from calibrating sheet-on-reel to delivering high-quality products to converters in the market,” said Mark Bessette, Managing Director of Legacy Paper, Port Huron. “Our customers are coming back because they know this machine and what this team can do. PM8’s Yankee-dryer MG finish, wide-trim capability, and our Midwest location mean shorter lead times and more consistent rolls on their converting equipment — and that combination is what specialty converters have been missing from a regional supplier.”

Since restart, Legacy Paper, Port Huron has shipped commercial and trial rolls to converters across Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Northeast, serving food-service, packaging, and industrial applications. Midwest converters now have a regional source for wide-trim specialty grades that previously required long-haul freight from outside the corridor.
Additional speakers included State Representative Joseph Pavlov, Port Huron Mayor Anita Ashford, St. Clair County Commissioner Lisa Beedon, and Dr. Rev. Thomas Seppo, who opened the event with a blessing.

Speakers underscored the mill’s growing contribution to the local economy. The project has created 45 jobs to date across the trades, engineering, and operations, with total employment expected to reach 82 as the mill ramps. Starting wages are $27 per hour plus benefits — more than $5 above the regional median wage of $21.58.

The event also marked a milestone for customers celebrating the return of PM8.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with the Port Huron paper mill for over 40 years, and it’s been a relationship defined by trust and dependability,” said Tim May, Owner of Handy Wacks, based in Sparta, Michigan. “As fellow Michigan companies with long histories, there’s a shared understanding of what it takes to build something that lasts. We value the people, the consistency, and the partnership — and we look forward to continuing that for years to come with Legacy Paper.”

With a team that includes former Port Huron Domtar and Dunn Paper employees — bringing deep experience with PM8 and specialty papermaking — the facility is well positioned to meet rising demand for domestically produced specialty and food-grade packaging.

“PM8 is running, shipping, and earning customer trust one roll at a time,” said Legacy Paper, Port Huron General Manager Tim Wight. “Our focus now is serving the customers who have come back to us and continuing to build momentum at the site.”

ABOUT LEGACY PORT HURON PAPER
Legacy Paper, Port Huron produces precision lightweight machine-glazed wide-trim specialty papers for food-service, packaging, and industrial converters across the Midwest and Northeast. The mill is run by Domtar and Dunn Paper veterans now working as one team, advancing product expertise and the next generation of Port Huron papermakers. Anchoring BMI Group’s Bioveld Port Huron campus, Legacy Paper gives regional converters short-lead-time access to a high-performance domestic specialty supplier. Legacy Paper, Port Huron is a BMI Group US company. For more information, visit legacypapergroup.com.

ABOUT BMI GROUP
BMI Group is a long-horizon owner and developer of Industrial Ready Infrastructure, specializing in the acquisition and conversion of idled pulp-and-paper-mill sites into deployment-ready, multi-sector industrial platforms. BMI works in partnership with local communities, governments, and industry to transition existing workforces into renewed industrial futures that keep jobs and manufacturing capacity in the communities where they were built.

Olga Patronik
The BMI Group
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