Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Repair in North Charleston, SC

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK) today announced it will permanently cease operating its paper mill in North Charleston, South Carolina, on August 31, 2023.

“WestRock and its predecessor companies have had a long history in the region operating the North Charleston mill, and the contributions of the team members over the years have been greatly appreciated,” said David B. Sewell, chief executive officer at WestRock. “The decision to close a facility and impact the lives of our team members is never easy, and we are committed to assisting our North Charleston team with exploring roles at other WestRock locations and outplacement assistance.”

The North Charleston mill produces containerboard, uncoated kraft paper (KraftPak^®), and unbleached saturating kraft paper (DuraSorb^®), with a combined annual capacity of 550,000 tons. Containerboard and uncoated kraft currently produced at the mill will be manufactured at other WestRock facilities. The Company intends to exit the unbleached saturating kraft paper business when the mill shutdown is completed.

WestRock is committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximizing the performance of its assets. The combination of high operating costs and the need for significant capital investment were the determining factors in the decision to cease operations at the mill.

The North Charleston mill employs approximately 500 people. Employees will receive severance and outplacement assistance in accordance with WestRock policy and labor union agreements.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE: WRK) is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions, with more than 58,000 teammates in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Our integrated packaging capabilities offer end-to-end solutions to help customers address their greatest challenges.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, plans or forecasts and are typically identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “prospects,” “potential” and “forecast,” and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning. Forward looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Our businesses are subject to a number of general risks that could affect any such forward-looking statements. These risks are described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Item 1A under the caption “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2022.

Contacts

Media:

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications [email protected]

Investors: Rob Quartaro, 470-328-6979 Senior Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected]

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Uninvited guests call for concerns for some living in Icon at Park Circle Apartments in North Charleston.

Khalis Henderson's apartment is one of the units affected by rats that have forced residents to raise questions regarding their health.

"Literally, it sounds like they're fighting or they're scratching at the wall or trying to get through or something," Henderson said.

Rat infestation raises health concerns at Icon at Park Circle Apartments in North Charleston (WCIV)

Read more: Living conditions aren't improving at Gadsden Green public housing, residents file lawsuit.

They have eaten through a pair of Henderson's brother's jeans. They have eaten the baseboards out near the stove, and they are chewing through the apartment, causing mayhem.

"They started just pooping on his clothes 'cause he had 'em sitting in the kitchen closet," Henderson said. "So, I had to end up bagging up his clothes. They started eating on his clothes and he had holes in his work shirts so he had to replace them."

Henderson said it's the worst living situation he's ever been in.

"The rats have gotten to the point where they ate the baseboard out by the stove and around the water heater, and they're chewing through the foam, and they're making barrels to where they can get through," Henderson said. "I don't like living like that. I've never lived like that, and that's not how my grandmother raised me to live."

Read more: Gadsden Green public housing residents file lawsuit against Charleston Housing Authority over living conditions.

Henderson and his brother have notified management, but they say it's gotten them nowhere. Now, they are merely fed up.

"I caught one in a bag recently," Henderson said. "I even tried to show her. She didn't want to see it. Disgusting to them. But we are living with them. I even emailed the company that's over their apartment complex. Still have not heard from them. It's been about a week now... It's becoming extremely unsanitary, and I don't like stuff like that."

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News 4 asked to speak with the complex management, but they had no comment. News 4 also reached out to the property management company and received no answer.

The nation’s first senior center — a sort of village square where older adults can gather to socialize and stay safe, active and healthy — opened in New York in 1943, and the concept proved itself and gradually spread across the country.

South Carolina got in the game in earnest in 1991 when the Legislature approved the Senior Center Permanent Improvement Project and committed about $1 million a year in state revenues to help build them. But as our digital world has worked toward minimizing in-person human contact, and as our senior population continues to grow and government leaders realize the value of helping seniors remain at home for as long as they are able, no one is suggesting we have enough.

That’s why we’re pleased North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey and other officials will gather Friday morning on Carner Avenue for a groundbreaking for the city’s third senior center, a 12,000-square-foot building that will include an exercise room, gym, indoor exercise pool, pickleball courts, five activity rooms and a coffee bar. As with other senior centers, the idea is to give older residents something to do as well as different ways to interact with one another that benefit both the heart and the mind. The $6.8 million project is scheduled to be completed late next year.

The center on Carner will be complemented by a new gymnasium that the State Ports Authority agreed to help build for the community as mitigation for a new railyard serving its Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal.

We urge those same city officials to continue to support plans for a fourth senior center near the city’s new aquatics center on Patriot Boulevard. Council considered a resolution accepting the donation of 2.3 acres from Dorchester County for the site, a donation that would make the area an increasingly bustling civic hub with not only the aquatics center but also the nearby Fort Dorchester High School and a new county library. Mayor Summey tells us the cost of that senior center is expected to be paid mostly through $6 million in state revenue that Dorchester County and its lawmakers hope to secure over the next three years; the city’s share may be about $1 million.

But while we can encourage Mayor Summey and City Council to support these projects, the reality is that their ultimate completion will be overseen by a new group of city leaders elected in November. And the future of these projects represents just a small slice of what’s at stake as North Charleston voters go to the polls to choose a new mayor and 10 City Council members, of whom at least six are going to be new.

It’s not an exaggeration to say North Charleston is poised to undergo a major leadership transition that could affect everything from public safety to property tax rates to the quality and quantity of civic amenities such as these senior centers. So it’s important for voters to pay more attention this year perhaps than ever before and make sure they go to the polls to make informed choices. Voter apathy, especially when combined with the city’s regrettable no-runoff election format, makes it more likely that the city’s next mayor and new batch of council members will be sworn in with the support of only a small portion of the electorate, potentially a very small one.

Great, safe cities with high-quality public places don’t just happen and cannot be taken for granted. They require honest, enlightened and fair-minded leadership. These important senior center projects are just part of a much larger political handoff that will occur soon; only voters can make sure the city’s new generation of leaders doesn’t drop the ball.

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The City of North Charleston and Dorchester County have taken the first steps in a land partnership to build a new senior center.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The City of North Charleston and Dorchester County have taken the first steps in a land partnership to build a new senior center.

Dorchester County Council unanimously approved a notion Monday night to continue the collaboration with the city to construct the facility on Patriot Boulevard.

“It’s truly a collaborative effort that shows how governments can work together for the greater good,” North Charleston City Councilmember Kenneth Skipper said.

Plans for the center are still in the early stages, but officials say it will mirror two existing locations in North Charleston: one in the Northwood area and another on Dorchester Road.

The cost for construction is set to be around $7 million, with $2 million being granted from the state.

“Being able to maximize what we’re getting from the state, assistance from the county as well as what the city can do, it’s really just a win for everybody” Skipper said.

This partnership is not the first between the city and Dorchester County.

The center will be just a walk away from two other projects connected to such collaborations: the city’s newest aquatic center and a public library, set to open its doors on Friday.

The new center will prioritize health and wellness and socialization for seniors by providing access to exercise equipment, group classes, outdoor spaces and more.

Officials say this decision comes from a need to put our local aging populations first and to create positive relationships between Lowcountry governments.

“We are not working in a vacuum, we all work together,” Skipper said. “Oftentimes, we focus on the youth and we forget about the aging population. It’s important that they have activities and places to go to exercise and interact with others.”

The project still has to go through planning and design work before construction starts.

Once it begins, Skipper told residents to expect it to take around 18 months to complete.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

The Community Resource Center in North Charleston will soon offer free classes for any adult who wants to learn skills for manufacturing jobs.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Through a private partnership with Neal Brothers Distribution, the Community Resource Center in North Charleston will soon offer free classes for any adult who wants to learn skills for manufacturing jobs.

Neal Brothers is investing in the program so the courses are free for adults. Neal Brothers CEO Daryll Ray Griffin says it’s important to acknowledge that college is not the only path. He believes the program will help expand their recruitment and support their workforce.

“The Community Resource Center is the epitome of giving a helping hand so Neal Brothers will always be a part for the Community Resource Center,” Griffin said.

The program has support from State Representative Wendell Gilliard who emphasized how important trade skills are and acknowledges how big the industry is in the Lowcountry. He says he plans to pre-file a bill for the second time next legislative session about manufacturing education.

“The bill will call for us to infuse in the curriculum in the State of South Carolina for the first time that we will teach our students advanced manufacturing,” Gilliard said.

Charleston County School Board member Courtney Waters says the trade industry is now included in the general discussion of education paths early on, but for many parents who didn’t have this option – they now have the opportunity to take classes.

“We have to wrap our arms around the parents who were not served by our education system decades before them. So, I appreciate so much this partnership with the private industry to bring necessary education to parents because we have to make sure we are providing support to entire families,” Water said.

She also mentioned her time working in the industry during the announcement and expressed her excitement for seeing other people discover what the job has to offer.

“As someone who was once upon a time forklift certified and worked in an advanced manufacturing facility, I really appreciate that this is the type of skill that gets someone above the entry-level salary and allows them to attain a skill,” Waters said.

Louis Smith, the Executive Director Community Resource Center, says the program is prepared to handle about 200 students. The center’s North Charleston campus features multiple classrooms and forklift training will happen on-site.

“We have partnered with many people throughout our community to make this happen. We want to make sure that all of our adults are able to get a decent job and a decent education. And as you know, the majority of the jobs now are going toward mass production,” Smith said.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.