For over 200 years…
…the Mead paper mill was the backbone of Chillicothe, Ohio — a source of good jobs, generational pride, and a town’s identity. In August 2025, that legacy is torn apart as the mill’s closure leaves more than 800 workers without jobs and a community reeling.
Paper Promises is a raw, intimate portrait of a town in transition. Through the voices of mill workers, union leaders, small business owners, and local officials, the film captures the fallout of a corporate decision made far from the people it affects most.
More than just the story of a factory shutting down, Paper Promises is about broken trust, economic displacement, and the quiet resilience of a town determined to write its next chapter.