Island Falls hit by closure of National Starch Factory

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    You could say it came out of the blue. Employees and town officials, including Cheryl McNally, Town Clerk were informed March 24 that the National Starch Company plant would be closing in June. There will be 37 employees looking and hoping to find work somewhere else.
    It was a hard pill to swallow for everyone. The National Starch Company has been a big supporter of the town fire department and ambulance service and many other town interests. And of course, contributed largely to the tax base and to the Water Department services. The company was a large contributor to those revenues.
    “Since the announcement was made, our office has been very busy with the media,” said McNally. “We are still in shock and not sure how everything will play out. There will be many families affected and I don’t know where they will find work,” she said.
    The original company was built in 1950s by a group of farmers to make starch from potatoes. Since then it has changed hands several times, the latest in 1997. The current product being manufactured at the plant is tapioca.
    The National Starch Company spokesman Damien Proulx said, “ The displaced workers will be eligible for severance in accordance with the company’s policy for salaried employees or the collective bargaining agreement for the hourly team.”
    He also said that employees might be able to transfer to the plant in Indianapolis, but that would be determined on a case-by-case situation.
    Island Falls resident, Sandra Rockwell, said that the closing is devastating to everyone.
    “It is the topic of conversation everywhere, she said, Everyone is wondering what will happen to the school and the town. It will be a domino effect and no one knows exactly what this is going to do the community. Rockwell added, “We have relied on the company for years for support, but have always worried about this happening. We have survived in the past when the company changed hands and luckily it has worked out. We will just hope that we can handle this, too.”
    National Starch is a business unit of AkzoNobel and a worldwide manufacturer of specialty starches for food and industrial applications.
    State Representative Henry Joy, said, “This not only affects the town of Island Falls, but all the communities around it.”