Attorney General Josh Stein File Law Suit Against Pactiv Evergreen

Haywood County -- May 25, 2024: On behalf of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Attorney General Josh Stein filed a lawsuit against Pactiv Evergreen.

The Canton paper factory Pactiv owns was shut down suddenly in 2023 after more than a century of operation and more than a thousand employees. The Attorney General has filed a complaint, claiming that Pactiv Evergreen violated a 2014 grant agreement with the Department of Commerce and must reimburse the state $12 million.

“Taxpayers in North Carolina invested in Pactiv Evergreen to bolster our state’s economy,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “We held up our end of the bargain, and we cannot let Pactiv cut and run away with our state’s money. My office has been working with Pactiv over the last year to address the company’s obligations under the JMAC agreement, but it has become clear that legal action was necessary to hold Pactiv accountable.”

“Pactiv Evergreen’s closure of the Canton paper mill was a gut punch to our state’s economy and the people of Canton and Haywood County,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “This company broke its commitment to keep the mill open and the state is taking action to hold them accountable.”

“I’m very appreciative for the actions of Attorney General Stein and the DOJ, but not surprised,” said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers. “AG Stein and his team are doing exactly what they said they would do when the mill closed, hold the company accountable. We teach our children that when you make promises, you keep those promises. Pactiv Evergreen took $12 million from the State in exchange for a promise to keep the mill open; a promise they did not keep.  We fully support the DOJ’s efforts to recover this money and hold Pactiv accountable to the taxpayers of North Carolina.”

The JMAC Agreement provided Pactiv Evergreen with $12 million in economic development incentives in exchange for a commitment to maintain operations, and at least 800 jobs, at Pactiv Evergreen’s paper mill in Canton, North Carolina through December 31, 2024. Pactiv Evergreen closed the mill and terminated all its employees in May 2023.

A copy of the complaint can be viewed here.