Orange Selectboard signs contract for water tower

Members of the Orange Selectboard were feeling festive at their meeting on Wednesday. From right are Clerk Andrew Smith, Vice Chair Pat Lussier, member Jane Peirce, member Julie Davis and Chair Tom Smith.

Members of the Orange Selectboard were feeling festive at their meeting on Wednesday. From right are Clerk Andrew Smith, Vice Chair Pat Lussier, member Jane Peirce, member Julie Davis and Chair Tom Smith. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

By DOMENIC POLI

Staff Writer

Published: 12-22-2024 1:01 PM

ORANGE — The Selectboard voted unanimously last week to enter into a $3.6 million contract for the construction of a water tower at the Orange Industrial Park, after the pulp and paper company poised to benefit from the structure wired the town $790,000 earlier in the day to assist with the cost.

Seaman Paper, located at 151 Governor Dukakis Drive, has reportedly been paying exorbitant insurance premiums due to insufficient water capacity. Town officials have said a water tower could incentivize other businesses to move into the industrial park. Residents voted at a Special Town Meeting earlier this month to accept land from Seaman Paper and to accept or take land from Power Fund Partners to enable the water tower’s construction.

“Orange is playing a major role in the expansion of this business,” Lee Chauvette, Seaman Paper’s corporate human resources director, told Selectboard members.

The town on Wednesday entered into a contract with Associated Construction Co. in Hartford, Connecticut. Attempts by the Greenfield Recorder to contact the company were unsuccessful.

Town Administrator Matthew Fortier informed Selectboard members of the $790,000 commitment from Seaman Paper and said the town would consider certain tax breaks for the company in the future to offset the contribution.

Chauvette said this is a big commitment from the company, “but we believe in Orange.” The company is looking to make significant improvements at 151 Governor Dukakis Drive and possibly expand.

He thanked the town’s public officials for their help in moving this project forward.

“We appreciate it and we’re looking forward to continuing to work together,” he said.

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Along with Seaman Paper’s financial contributions to the project, an initial $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money was set aside to secure a matching MassWorks grant for the work. In June, Annual Town Meeting voters gave the town permission to borrow up to $1 million if needed. The town also committed its leftover $835,700 ARPA balance, bringing the total ARPA commitment to nearly $1.9 million to reduce potential borrowing.

Selectboard Chair Tom Smith mentioned this project likely would have fallen apart without Seaman Paper’s cooperation and generosity.

Chauvette explained the Orange location is the largest North American campus Seaman Paper owns. The company produces a great deal of tissue paper and uses the Orange location for warehousing — as manufacturing takes place primarily in Baldwinville.

“But one thing that a lot of the general public does not know is that Orange, Massachusetts, is the home of the Hershey pull tab [in wrapped Hershey’s Kisses], also that is known as a plume in ‘Hershey world,’” he shared. “Those are actually manufactured at our mill in Baldwinville, printed at our printing location in Gardner, and then they’re here and then they ship from here to Hershey, [Pennsylvania].”

Chauvette said Seaman Paper has about 1,000 employees internationally.

He added that the company is one of the largest confetti producers in the United States. According to Chauvette, Seaman Paper confetti is used at the Super Bowl as well as at the preceding American Football Conference and National Football Conference championship games, the Emmy Awards, the Academy Awards, on the singing competition television series “American Idol,” and on Taylor Swift and Kiss tours.

Chauvette mentioned the company hopes to offer public tours of the Orange facility in the spring.

Before Chauvette left the meeting, Selectboard member Jane Peirce said Seaman Paper’s future in Orange has been solidified by the hard work of Chauvette and Fortier.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-930-4120.