From Excelsior Needle Co. to Timken: The Rise and Fall of Torrington's Standard Plant

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The Standard Plant and a Century of Making Things It was a hot May week in 2023, and J and I were already sweating through our shirts before we even made it to the entrance. We turned into the driveway off North Elm Street and passed a large Caterpillar backhoe holding up the red, white, and blue at the top of the arm. Patriotic machinery. Only in Connecticut. We moved toward the back of the complex with our eyes open, scanning for any sign of people or activity. We found cameras instead. A few of them, well-positioned across one of the buildings and up on an electrical pole, covering angles that made our original entry plan useless. We backed off, found a Plan B, and stepped into a dark room washed in tinted green light, then took the stairs down to ground level. The former Standard Plant sits along North Elm Street at a sunken grade, one story, with another building rising over the roadway to the far right when you're standing in front of it from North Street. It's the kind o...
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The Former Fusion Paperboard Plant (Part 3)




♻️ Former Fusion Paperboard Plant Series 🌿
Exploring the abandoned Fusion Paperboard recycling facility — from towering paper machinery and hydrapulpers to sludge ponds and the wastewater treatment plant that once supported sustainable recycled paperboard production.
📦 Once producing 100% recycled coated paperboard, Fusion Paperboard recycled over 160,000 short tons of material annually before closing in 2014.



Welcome back to our journey through Fusion Paperboard. In this third and final part of our series, we head south of the cardboard plant to explore its wastewater treatment facility.


Fusion Paperboard was a leading independent producer of high-performance coated recycled boxboard (CRB), folding cartons, and packaging for major food and consumer product brands across North America. The Connecticut-based paper mill took pride in its sustainable practices, producing 100% recycled, food-grade paperboard. It even earned certification under the Recycled Paperboard Alliance’s (RPA-100%) Recycled Fiber Certification Program.


Each year, Fusion Paperboard recycled more than 160,000 short tons of brown fiber material. That’s a significant commitment to reducing waste and promoting a circular economy. But the company’s dedication to sustainability didn’t stop there. The wastewater treatment plant played a key role in managing the environmental impact of its operations.


In the next section, we’ll take a closer look at how Fusion Paperboard used innovative processes to treat and manage its wastewater, ensuring cleaner water returned to the environment. Stay with us for this final leg of our exploration.































J and I moved casually through the thick, green foliage, the dense underbrush brushing against our legs as we made our way forward. The path was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and distant birdsong. Before us stood a vine-covered bridge — the final obstacle leading to the remains of the old wastewater treatment plant.


Crossing it carefully, we stepped closer to the first outline of the abandoned facility. Time had claimed its space here. The pools that once held treated water were now lined with green algae, the stagnant water untouched for years. Since the plant’s closure in 2014, nature has crept back in, leaving behind a still, eerie beauty.


It was hard not to wonder what it would have been like if the plant were still operational. Witnessing the process of treating wastewater from recycled paperboard production would have brought the space to life — a tangible example of how industry and sustainability had once worked hand in hand. Instead, all that remained were the remnants of a long-shuttered plant.



















A wastewater treatment plant is an essential part of any paperboard mill, ensuring that the water used during manufacturing is cleaned before being released back into the environment or reused in the factory. At Fusion Paperboard, this process was crucial for managing the large amounts of wastewater produced from recycling materials and making paperboard products.


During production, the water became contaminated with wood fibers, chemicals from bleaching and pulping, and other industrial waste. If left untreated, this polluted water could harm fish, plants, and even drinking water supplies. To prevent that, the treatment plant used a series of physical, biological, and chemical processes to remove harmful substances and meet strict environmental standards.



The process began with physical treatment, where large debris like wood chips, plastic, and sand was filtered out. Screens and settling tanks helped remove these materials. From there, the water flowed into large clarifiers, where gravity allowed heavier particles like fibers and dirt to sink to the bottom. The collected solids were then scraped away and sent for sludge processing.



















Next came the biological treatment stage. In large aeration tanks, the plant introduced helpful bacteria and microorganisms. These tiny organisms feed on the organic waste in the water, breaking it down into harmless byproducts. This step mimicked how wetlands naturally clean water, significantly reducing pollution levels.



For the final stage, the plant used chemical treatments to polish the water. Chemicals like alum or ferric chloride were often added to make small particles clump together, making them easier to remove. Some mills also used activated carbon, a highly absorbent material that trapped any remaining pollutants. In some cases, ultraviolet (UV) light was applied to kill bacteria and ensure the water was safe.


After passing through these steps, the water was tested to ensure it met environmental regulations. Clean water could then be safely released or reused in the mill’s production process. Meanwhile, the sludge from the clarifiers was processed—often dried and either burned for energy, composted, or disposed of in landfills.


And with that, we conclude our exploration of the former Fusion Paperboard plant. Thanks for joining us on this journey! If you’ve ever visited the site or have memories to share, feel free to drop a comment below — we’d love to hear your thoughts.




















If you missed the earlier parts of this three-part series, be sure to check them out.

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