A Hoquiam, Wash., paper mill that shut down about a year ago has been sold and its new owners plan to begin producing paper within 45 days.

Harbor Paper officially took over the shuttered Grays Harbor Paper mill this week.

The Daily World of Aberdeen reports ( http://is.gd/0zmhDK) that the mill sold for about $3.7 million. In a separate sale, the Grays Harbor Public Utility District sold its interest in three biomass turbines at the mill for $540,000.

New Harbor Paper CEO John Begley says he wants to hire about 175 employees over the next two to three months.

About 225 employees were laid off when the mill shut down. An affiliated trucking company also closed down, laying off dozens more. The previous company cited lower-than-expected sales and the continued high price of raw materials as reasons for the closure.

---

Information from: The Daily World, http://www.thedailyworld.com