The Newton Falls paper mill will temporarily close, affecting 83 employees, the company announced Friday.

7 News reporter John Friot, reporting from the paper mill, said 23 employees will stay on to make the plant ready to reopen.

The mill will reopen in the spring of 2011, the company said.

A press release from the mill's operator, Newton Falls Fine Paper Co., called the shutdown "a short term step as the company completes the necessary investments and changes to support its long term sustainability in a changing marketplace."

83 employees are affected. They get four weeks pay and their medical, dental and life insurance benefits will continue for the length of the shutdown.

The company aoppeared to go out of its way in is statement Friday to stress the plant will re-pen. One paragraph in particular emphasizes everything that's being done to keep the plant ready to operate:

"A small workforce will be retained to safely and securely shut down the equipment, make the necessary modifications to adjust to new production opportunities, and enable the facility to re-open, fully ready to supply the products the Company will be making. Appropriate security, safety and insurance requirements will be followed, and all necessary operating and environmental permits will continue to be in place. The heat will be kept on and regular maintenance will be conducted to ensure an easy start-up in early spring, 2011."

The plant will continue manufacturing until mid-December.

While not being specific, the company said the plant needs to shut down so that new technology can be added to the paper making machines, and a 'co-generation' energy site can be built.

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Here's the company's press release, in full:

(Newton Falls, NY. November 12, 2010) - Newton Falls Fine Paper Co., LLC (NFFP) announced today in a meeting with employees that it will temporarily idle operations starting mid December, 2010 through early spring 2011. This is a short term step as the company completes the necessary investments and changes to support its long-term sustainability in a changing marketplace.

This temporary closure will affect 83 employees. Management has met with all employees and they are aware of what the plans are, and what is being done for them. All employees will be provided with a lay-off benefit package to minimize the affect for the anticipated duration of this short-term closure. The lay-off benefits include four weeks pay and continuation of dental, medical and life insurance for the anticipated duration of the temporary shut-down. . Employee support and counseling services will also be offered. The company plans on calling employees back to work in early spring, 2011.

NFFP will continue manufacturing until mid December to complete 2010 client obligations. A small workforce will be retained to safely and securely shut down the equipment, make the necessary modifications to adjust to new production opportunities, and enable the facility to re-open, fully ready to supply the products the Company will be making. Appropriate security, safety and insurance requirements will be followed, and all necessary operating and environmental permits will continue to be in place. The heat will be kept on and regular maintenance will be conducted to ensure an easy start-up in early spring, 2011.

" The marketplace for our traditional paper products has been affected in recent years by a tough downturn in the economy, excess capacity in the marketplace, and financial and pricing pressures in a competitive industry," said Scott Travers, President and Vice Chairman.

" We know how difficult this is for our employees, managers, suppliers and the community, and we have been hard at work to make necessary changes to move into new markets in the area of specialty fine papers," he said, " We have seen some progress and early success, but not enough to sustain the mill for the short term, and so we had to make this very tough decision," said Travers.

The company is focused on a profitable, sustainable business plan to re-open the mill, on finding new market opportunities and retaining external consulting expertise to validate current specialty market initiatives and identify additional specialty market opportunities using the company's existing assets.

As well, necessary equipment modifications will be made to position NFFP as a manufacturing choice for end-users and printers focused on environmentally friendly paper products. Plans are underway for a co-generation energy site, to ensure lower costs for steam and electric and potential additional revenue streams by selling green energy to the general market. The company will complete significant changes to the paper machine(s) to target additional markets, and introduce branded products for which clients have specified demand.

" Scotia Investments, our parent company, has a strong track record of over 80 years of investing in their businesses for long-term sustainability," said Travers. "Their extensive financial stability, along with their commitment to community, employees, and our clients are unwavering. In an industry with well documented losses in the coated free sheet market by major suppliers, we are an organization with the resources, vision and will to build a bright future," said Travers.