Spending the Day in Canton
A New Direction for Sunset Mulch
John and Susan Fletcher of Suncrest Mulch, formerly Suncrest Lumber, shared the dramatic impact the paper mill closure had on the timber business, including theirs. The mill had been a major customer for sawmills throughout the region. When its closure was announced, Suncrest went from about 50 employees to five overnight.
The Fletchers first pivoted toward producing high-quality mulch and topsoil. Following Hurricane Helene, they have also been expanding their work with biochar. Biochar is a carbon-rich material that can be added to soil to help retain water and improve soil conditions.
The Fletchers believe it could become an increasingly important product for agriculture and our region’s wood-products industry. There is much more to tell about what they are doing, so I plan to devote a future newsletter to Suncrest and biochar.
A rare look inside the Canton Mill
Another highlight of the Canton tour was something many people had been waiting years to experience: an opportunity to go inside the former paper mill. Because the property is now an active demolition site, Two Banks Development, LLC, limited the tours to 30 people each for safety reasons.
When I first approached the company about offering public tours, they agreed but wondered how much interest there would be. We quickly got our answer. All 60 available spaces filled, with additional people asking to join a waiting list.
Luke Williams, director of engineering for Two Banks Development, led participants through the massive site where approximately 900 people once worked before the mill’s closure. For some, it was their first opportunity to see what was behind those doors. For former employees, it was an opportunity to see just how much the site has changed as equipment has been removed.
Terryll Evans, owner of WPTL and a new member of the Haywood Community College governing board, described the experience this way:
“I always wondered exactly what went on behind those doors. Every corner you went in, you could see how it was built, the number of jobs affected and what part everybody played in the history — from the first people who stepped foot in there to the last days when chairs were just sitting empty. It was like seeing a part of history that just stopped.”
Terryll said her father, Bill Rech, who started WPTL in the 1970s, always told her that if the mill ever shut down, it would be the end of Canton. Thankfully, Canton is proving otherwise.
What happens next at the Mill site?
Williams said Two Banks Development will be offering additional public tours now that it’s proven that interest is high. The next tour will be in a month and those interested should follow Two Banks Development on social media.
Demolition of the site could take another couple of years, depending in part on how quickly companies purchasing mill equipment are able to remove it. Ferguson said the company is making an effort to reuse or repurpose equipment whenever possible. As Williams explained: “It’s faster to tear down than to preserve.”
You may have seen one example recently: the massive natural gas boiler that traveled through Haywood County on its way to a new home in Mexico.
As for the long-term future of the property, many decisions are still ahead. Two Banks Development representatives have been participating in community planning sessions about Canton’s future. Company owner Eric Spirtas attended the most recent public session to “listen and learn,” and company representatives continue meeting with town and county leaders.
Their website carries the phrase “Building Tomorrow in Canton.” That is exactly the conversation our community is having now. Whether we’re talking about housing, jobs, redevelopment or new industries such as biochar, I believe one of my responsibilities as a county commissioner is to keep asking questions, bringing people together and looking for ideas that can work here in Haywood County.
I appreciate everyone who has participated in these tours, shared ideas and taken the time to stay informed.