International Paper's Louisiana Mill announced Wednesday that it will be taking ten days of machine downtime in September due to soft marketplace conditions.

The downtime is currently scheduled for the week of September 21 and will involve a total mill outage.

“We are committed to matching our supply with customer demand, and one way to do that is by not making product that would go into inventory,” said Greg Van Voorhis, mill manager. “This is a normal and expected business practice for our mill and our company. While we do not like to take downtime, this is something we've done before.” 

Van Voorhis added, “At this time, we do not anticipate further downtime, but that depends on marketplace conditions. We also understand the impact this announcement will have on our employees and their families, so employees will be allowed to use any unused vacation during the downtime.”

The mill is letting employees know now about the downtime for planning purposes.

International Paper (NYSE:IP) is a global paper and packaging company with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and North Africa.

Its businesses include uncoated papers and industrial and consumer packaging, complemented by xpedx, the company's North American distribution company.

Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company employs more than 65,000 people in more than 20 countries and serves customers worldwide. 2007 net sales were approximately $22 billion. 

For more information about International Paper, its products and stewardship efforts, visit internationalpaper.com.