ST. MARYS - Governor Barnes heads to a troubled paper mill on Georgia coast Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to keep the plant open for the 900 people who work there. <br>
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Barnes plans to visit the Durango-Georgia Paper Company mill in St. Marys. <br>
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State Representative Charlie Smith of St. Marys says the governor has promised to help ``any way possible under the laws of the state'' to keep the mill open. <br>
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The paper mill has been one of the largest employers in this coastal town since it opened in 1941. The company announced the closure earlier this month, saying all 900 employees would be let go. <br>
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Mexico-based Durango Paper Company purchased Gilman Paper Company in December 1999, nearly two years after the former owner, Howard Gilman, died. At the time, Gilman Paper Company was the largest privately owned paper mill in the United States. <br>
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Durango officials said after the purchase they had no plans to lay off employees, but eventually hundreds of workers lost jobs while the company struggled to keep the plant open. The company laid off 50 people in August.
