Governor Josh Stein made several stops in Western North Carolina Tuesday, including a tour of the future site of Champion Credit Union of Canton.
The building sits across from what used to be the town’s main economic engine – its paper mill – which has been closed for just over a year and was recently sold to Eric Spirtas.
“That's one of the reasons I'm here today is to meet him and hear about his plans,” Stein told reporters at the construction site. “We hope that he makes that brown field into a green field and makes it something beautiful that benefits the entire town of Canton, County of Haywood and frankly, Western North Carolina.”
Spirtas’ company, Spirtas Worldwide, specializes in demolition, environmental remediation and property redevelopment. The company purchased the property from Pactiv Evergreen.
The two companies have been engaged in a months-long legal battle over the site in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Spirtas filed a letter of intent to purchase the mill site in May 2024, and the sale was originally on track to close October 1. But the process was stalled in part by Hurricane Helene.
Pactiv Evergreen filed a lawsuit in response. Spirtas filed a counterclaim, voicing concerns over Pactiv’s insurance policy and alleged lack of access to the site.
The property was sold for an undisclosed amount. The sale was officially announced on Jan. 10.
Canton’s Mayor Zeb Smathers says that he hopes the future of the mill is as bright as its long history.
"The standard is to look in the eyes of every mill worker and family and do something that's not just good, but great; that meets their sacrifices; that meets their success; that continues to tell their story; that is uniquely Canton and Haywood County and Western North Carolina but opens our future up," Smathers told BPR last week.
Pactiv Evergreen, the mill’s former owner, still faces a lawsuit from the state over $12 million dollars it received in exchange for creating jobs at the mill.
Felicia Sonmez contributed reporting to this story.