U.S. Medical Glove Co. purchases Ohio paper mill to convert into new factory

Local news reported October 10 that U.S. Medical Glove Co. had purchased a disused Pixelle Specialty Solutions paper mill in Chillicothe, Ohio, to convert it into a nitrile medical glove factory.

The paper mill USMGC plans to convert to a glove factory announced it would close in April and did so in August, leaving about 800 people without jobs. The company did not disclose how many people the new plant would employ or how much it had paid for the disused paper mill, but local media reporting said it has hired at least 60 people for the site.

USMGC already owns one Ohio factory, in Cincinnati: The glove manufacturer announced in May it had leased a 638,000-square-foot factory to produce nitrile butadiene rubber, surgical and nitrile exam gloves and sterile intravenous bag systems. The company estimated it would spend between $200-240 million on that factory to bring it up to spec.

In statements to the press, Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno said Chillicothe would eventually be home to manufacturing for glove-making equipment, the gloves themselves and glove packaging.

What people are saying

“For over 200 years, the Pixelle paper mill has been a cornerstone of the community, employing generations of Ohioans,” said Senator Bernie Moreno. “U.S. Medical Glove Co.’s investment in Chillicothe will revitalize Ohio manufacturing and bring high-paying wages to families in Ross County that allow them to live with dignity."

"In Chillicothe, you've found more than a location, you've found a partner," said Michael Throne of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce. "Our businesses, local government, educational institutions, and residents are committed to your success. We understand that when our companies thrive, our community prospers."

“As a proud son of Chillicothe, Ohio, and the proud grandson of someone who supported and sustained his family through a manufacturing career that spanned four decades on the shop floor of the paper mill, I am thrilled to see that Mead has found new life,” wrote Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers in a statement on NAM’s website. “But I am not surprised,” he added: “Manufacturing in the United States is anchored in the qualities that make this country exceptional. Those qualities that define us—those qualities that define our industry—include the values of innovation, resilience and reinvention. This is the story not only of Chillicothe’s comeback but the ever-larger leadership of our nation’s indispensable sector: U.S. manufacturing.

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