From Staff Reports
 

CANTON — During his visit to Canton on Jan. 16, Jeff Jackson, North Carolina’s new attorney general, vowed to continue pressuring Pactiv Evergreen to return the $12 million that he claims the company owes the state after abruptly closing the town’s iconic paper mill.

“A decade ago, the state gave Pactiv Evergreen a $12-million economic development grant. In exchange, the deal was that the company would stay open through 2024,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on Jan. 17. “But, Pactiv-Evergreen closed in 2023. The state says that is a breach of contract.”

To that end, Jackson asserted during his Canton visit, “Pactiv agreed — upon receiving millions of dollars — that they would maintain the operation of this facility. They failed to live up to their end of the agreement.”

News 13 noted that Jackson’s predecessor, now-Governor Josh Stein, “remained committed to retrieving the state’s grant money: the Job Maintenance and Capital Development Fund.”

To that end, Jackson told the Canton audience, “I am the new attorney general and we’re going to continue with this case. There may be some attorneys in this litigation on the other side who were hoping a new attorney general will dismiss the case and what I want to do is send a message that that’s not going to happen.”

While a trial is set, Jackson noted that there is another possible path.

“We also have another mediation coming up,” the attorney general said. “So, there’s an opportunity for them to avoid going to trial. I hope they take that opportunity. If they don’t, we are ready to go to trial within the next few months.”

One way or the other, the $12 million will be coming back to the state, Jackson stated, adding that, under the law, some of it must go to the General Assembly.

“But, we intend for the majority of it to stay here,” News 13 quoted Jackson as saying. “Although it will depend on the manner in which this is resolved.”