Major Bay of Plenty employer Whakatāne Mill has decided to proceed to close its doors.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited the Whakatāne Mill during the election campaign in September 2020.
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
It employs just over 210 staff and has produced paper and packaging products, lately mostly for export, for more than 80 years.
Its management said all staff would be made redundant, with most completing their roles by the end of June.
The company would cease production on 21 June and then begin the decommissioning of the plant, with an expected final closure date of 30 June, it said.
A number of options were being explored for both the plant and the site, but no decisions had yet been made.