Aug 28, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. International Paper said that it will temporarily shut down its Louisiana Mill in Bastrop for 10 days next month to match its inventory with market demand, The News Star reported. The shut down is set to begin on September 21. “We are committed to matching our supply with customer demand, and one way to do that is by not making products that would go into inventory,” said mill manager Greg Van Voorhis. “This is a normal and expected business practice for our mill and our company. “While we do not like to take downtime, this is something we’ve done before.” Van Voorhis described the current marketplace conditions as soft. “At this time, we do not anticipate further downtime, but that depends on marketplace conditions,” he said. “We also understand the impact this announcement will have on our employees and their families, so employees will be allowed to use any unused vacation during the downtime.” International Paper is Morehouse Parish’s largest private employer with more than 500 workers and a $30 million annual payroll. After being a potential target for permanent closure for two years, International Paper announced late last year that the mill would be converted from finished paper production to market and raw pulp production and remain open for the foreseeable future. Just before that announcement, union workers had voted to accept wage cuts to preserve the plant and their jobs. International Paper has invested about $10 million in the conversion.