FRENCHTOWN, Mont. (AP) — Residents of the Frenchtown Valley in western Montana are wondering what the future holds for the region now that the Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. paper mill has closed.
About 70 people gathered for a meeting at a Frenchtown high school auditorium Thursday night to talk with community leaders about the impact the loss of 417 jobs will have on the region.
Missoula Area Economic Development Corp. Director Dick King suggested that everyone in the group write a letter to the bankruptcy court judge who will hear Smurfit's case later this month, explaining how the closure will affect the community.
The company announced Dec. 14 that it was closing the plant in an effort to cut costs and emerge from bankruptcy protection.
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Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com
