Arcadia Paper Mills, LLC has acquired the former paper mill property in St. Helens, Oregon, signaling a return to manufacturing at a site that has remained idle since Cascade Tissue ceased operations in 2023.

The transaction, completed on December 22, 2025, transfers ownership of the mill site at 1300 Kaster Road from the City of St. Helens to Arcadia Paper Mills. The acquisition follows nearly two years of uncertainty for the property after the previous operator shut down production, leaving the city in search of a new industrial tenant capable of reactivating the facility.

Based in St. Helens, Arcadia Paper Mills plans to manufacture paper towels and napkins at the site. The company has already hired 15 local employees to begin repair and commissioning work, representing the first step toward restarting operations.

Arcadia Paper Mills was formed by a group of investors and industry professionals with the specific goal of acquiring and restarting the mill. Craig Allen, a former mill manager who oversaw tissue operations at the site in the 1990s, worked with investors and former employees to conduct due diligence and assemble a team to support the restart effort.

The mill’s restart would mark a new chapter for a facility that has played a central role in St. Helens’ industrial history for decades. While a production timeline has not yet been announced, early infrastructure work and local hiring indicate a gradual return of paper manufacturing activity to a site long associated with tissue production.

Source: Paper Advance