CHILLICOTHE, Ohio —  State officials announced Friday that the the Pixelle paper mill in Chillicothe will pause its planned closure until the end of the year.

The closure was announced earlier this week as part of plans to strengthen operations at other locations such as Spring Grove and Fremont.

“This was an extremely difficult decision. We value our Chillicothe team and the contributions they have made to Pixelle,” said Ross Bushnell, Pixelle’s president and CEO, in a statement on the closure earlier this week. “While this step is necessary for our long-term strategic goals, our priority at the moment is to support our employees with care and transparency throughout this transition. We are committed to providing the resources and assistance they need while also ensuring continuity for our customers until the closure is complete.”

On Friday, Senator Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, that the closure had been paused.

"I just got off the phone with HIG Capital and am thrilled to announced they have agreed to PAUSE the closure of the Chillicothe paper mill until the end of the year," Moreno's post reads. "I look forward to working with them to find a solution that guarantees the well-being of Ohio workers."

The closure would have occurred in phases, affecting 800 employees with no set date for when the doors would shut for good.

At a press conference on Friday, Moreno joined Sen. Jon Husted and Gov. Mike DeWine addressing the pause.

"We've gotten some time, I think the thing that was the most aggravating was that no one really had notice," DeWine said. "When did the governor find out, when did the senators find out, the mayor? The same time as you."

DeWine said it would a team effort going forward to work together to find another company to move into the mill.

"Our committment to you is we're going to do everything we can between now and the end of the year, and hope something gets resolved sooner, to find a company to come in," DeWine said. "We cannot gurantee you that, but we're all in this together."

More information on resources for employees can be found here.