GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — An 87-year-old Georgetown County mainstay will close its doors at the end of the year.

International Paper is closing the plant and taking 700 jobs with it.

Thursday, city and county leaders held a press conference to address efforts to help workers.

“This facility has been a pillar in Georgetown County, saysLouis Grant, Georgetown County Council Chairman.

READ MORE | “Georgetown reels as International Paper mill closure to ax hundreds of jobs.”

Soon, that pillar will be gone.

“We are prioritizing job placement and skill development to help these families remain here, thrive here, and continue being part of our Georgetown County family. We will implement a coordinated support plan to ease this transition,” Grant said.

Those plans include sessions to help workers apply for unemployment insurance, as well as a job fair and worker training programs.

“Organizations will also work with displaced employers employees… To help them understand how their skills may translate to other industries such as healthcare, education and technology. Our focus now is on providing pathways to stable employment, ideally within our county,” Grant said.

“We have over 50 employers who have signed up to participate in these job fairs. We are absolutely overwhelmed by the response as numerous businesses and industries from across the state have reached out to let us know that they have job openings,” said Ayla Dyer, the Workforce Development Director at Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments.

Government leaders say those workers could have other opportunities with new businesses moving in.

“There are some solar farms that are currently looking at doing business in Georgetown County. One has already been approved. They’re in the construction, well, the beginning of the construction particular process. I know that they are looking for skilled labor. They certainly are interested in these folks. There’s gonna be injected into the workforce and hopefully that’ll be a great pathway for some folks forward,” said Angela Christian, Georgetown County Administrator.

READ MORE | “Georgetown Pulp and Paper Mill to close by end of 2024, impacting over 670 jobs.”

For workers who have been at the plant for decades, there’s an effort to make sure their mental health is cared for as well.

Sheldon butts/south carolina state conference naacp political action chairperson

“That’s gonna have an impact not only on the person but the person’s family. Psychological and mental health should be right up there up upfront,”Sheldon Butts, South Carolina State Conference NAACP Political Action Chairperson.

As the process moves forward, civic leaders want city and county officials to keep the public informed.

“As much as you can get in front of that camera and tell people, this is what we’re doing,” said Butts. “You got to keep people informed about what has been drastically torn away from them for so many years. In the absence of silence, people can go in very dark places…You’ve got to make sure that you’re letting individuals know that you’re genuinely concerned.”

For more information:Georgetown County Job Fair Info.