October 28, 2008 - Verso Paper today announced that it intends to take approximately 50,000 tons of downtime related to coated groundwood production, primarily during the fourth quarter of 2008.

The specific timing and facilities impacted to achieve this curtailment will be determined as the fourth quarter progresses, Verso said.

This downtime is in addition to the approximately 43,000 tons of coated groundwood downtime that Verso has already taken or announced in the second half of this year, the company added.

“We remain committed to running our manufacturing operations in a manner to achieve a balance between our supply of paper and the demand for paper by our customers,” said Verso president and CEO Mike Jackson. “Based on what we currently see relative to demand and inventory levels, this additional downtime is necessary to help us maintain that balance.”

Verso's coated groundwood paper is used in catalogs and magazines.

SOURCE: Verso Paper Corp.