CARTHAGE, NY – In just two short years Ox Industries has turned a bankrupt paper mill in Carthage, NY into a productive, people-centric employer for the Carthage area community. With a strategic improvement plan focused on operations, updating machinery and technology, and immersing in the community, Ox has been on the fast track for positive change. Since we acquired the Carthage Paper Mill out of Bankruptcy two years ago, we have made incredible progress, said, Mr. Kevin Hayward, CEO of Ox Industries. Today, the mill employees have adopted a stringent safety culture and commitment to quality.
The hard work and commitment did not go unnoticed. Ox was recently named Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year. Mr. Rob Siglar, Treasurer at Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce, said, Ox Corporate did a wonderful thing when they purchased the mill. They stabilized the operation saving good-paying jobs in our local community. They stepped up and have their employees serving on local boards as represented by their presence on the Chamber Board. Robert Kuklinca, HR Manager and a member of the Carthage Chamber Board of Directors, took the helm for community initiatives at Ox making sure the entire team knew of opportunities to get involved. Over the past year, Ox supported the chamber with involvement in many activities and events including decorating the city for the holidays, food pantry service, COVID relief assistance, Toys for Tots, and the creation of a community Recycling Center. Mr. Siglar closed by stating, they have a recycling program that allows local residents to drop off their Cardboard. Ox re-uses this cardboard which in itself is noble as it saves waste to our landfills. Investing in our local mill and keeping jobs in our community is deserving alone of an award, but the other factors and their involvement right out of the gate in our community- we wanted to make sure everyone in our community is aware of what Ox has done and the Business of the Year award recognizes this.
The Strategic Improvement Plan continued internally, Ox invested in machines and infrastructure to assure an optimal work environment. A two-year $4 million capital improvement project on a paper machine to improve dynamics, product quality, and employee safety was just completed. An efficient high-speed slitting and rewinding machine was added, and base infrastructure has been improved.
Mr. Hayward stated, “our capital improvements and progress show a clear commitment to our employees and the local community. I am beyond proud of the turnaround we have made at Carthage”.