Maryland Jobs Created by Port Deal with Finnish Paper Company

Investing in paper cargo will help create more Maryland jobs.

The State of Maryland recently signed a deal with UPM-Kymmene, a Finnish paper maker, which will create 120 new Maryland jobs at the Port of Baltimore. The move also will guarantee the port will see 3.2 million tons of cargo during the next 10 years, according to an article by the Baltimore Business Journal.

The contract between the state and UP-Kymmene will help strengthen the Maryland Port Administration's growth of forest products at the South Locust Point terminal, a state-owned facility. The contract includes construction of a 300,000-square-foot custom-built warehouse. Baltimore's port ranks first in the nation in forest product imports, which made up about 15 percent of total cargo tonnage in 2007.

“Long-term contracts with global companies like UPM are the key in helping to support the thousands of good-paying, family-supporting jobs at the Port of Baltimore,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in the article. “Having an internationally-renowned paper manufacturer of UPM’s stature to continue to call the Port of Baltimore for 10 more years means 10 more years of guaranteed jobs for the Port’s dedicated workforce.”

The Maryland Port Administration signed a contract with M-real, another Finnish paper company, earlier this year. That contract resulted in the construction of a 215,000-square-foot warehouse and created a 10-year shipping agreement with Evergreen Marine, a container shipping company.

“We’re very excited about it,” MPA Executive Director James J. White said in the article. “What’s nice about this deal is when you have [a contract with] the manufacturer, you know you’re going to get the product and you know you’re going to have them long-term.”