Shredding Paper

The Rise and Fall of Maine's Mighty Paper Industry

By: Michael G. Hillard

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Paperback | 15 October 2025

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277 Pages

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In Shredding Paper, Michael G. Hillard examines how Maine, once the nation's leader in paper production, saw its powerful industry decline. From the early twentieth century to the 1960s, Maine's paper mills shaped the state's economy and labor relations, but by the late twentieth century, shifting economic forces and foreign competition led to their collapse. Hillard explores the industry's economic history, showing how local paper companies once controlled policies on labor, land use, and water rights. As national conglomerates absorbed family-owned mills, Wall Street's demand for short-term profits after 1980 accelerated the industry's downfall. Through a detailed retelling of labor relations and worker experiences, Shredding Paper uncovers the story of Maine's blue-collar workforce, their struggles, and the economic transformations that reshaped the state. Shredding Paper offers a compelling analysis of how changing political economies led to the demise of a major American industry.

Industry Reviews

Far from a dry study of the industry, Hillard's highly readable and engaging book features 150 interviews with the workers and mill managers themselves about what happened. Shredding Paper is highly recommended for anyone seeking an understanding of how Wall Street greed ravaged an industry that once made Maine the "Detroit of paper" and how workers organized and fought back. (Maine AF-CIO) Riveting writing. (ILR Review) Shredding Paper offers a page-turning... analysis of a commodity at the center of supply, demand, and the ever-shifting quest to balance prosperity and dignified work. (The London School of Economics and Political Science)

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