Before 1900. Although the exact start date for the present day Cheney (pronounced “Cheeney”) Pulp Mill is unclear … the Franklin, Ohio city records show that a pulp mill was operating at our current location at the turn of the last century (i.e., 1900).

Details about when and who originally built the mill were lost in the early 1900’s. However, we do know that the Srere Brothers purchased the mill shortly after 1900, and renamed the business The Srere Brothers Pulp Mill.


Early 1900’s. In the year 1910, Howard Cheney started work as an employee for the Srere Brothers. He did well, and eventually purchased the mill in 1924, also renaming it to Cheney Pulp and Paper.

He grew the business over the next several decades, providing a quality product to his customers. The Cheney Pulp and Paper Company also offered excellent, steady employment for many people in the community, as well as for several of his family members. 

Difficult Times. Along the way, the company has overcome many setbacks, including a boiler explosion in 1934, which killed seven employees and flattened the mill, and a flood in 1974, which severely damaged our plant.


Our present-day mill is on the same site as the original mill. The mill has remained a family-run business, with the 3rd and 4th generations currently operating the day-to-day production of the mill.


Recent Events. Over the years, we have produced a variety of pulps, including abaca, cotton, hemp, tobacco stalk, hay, and others. In the last decade, we’ve focused on developing and improving our cotton fiber grades of pulp – plus, we create top quality specialty pulps from a wide variety of fibrous plants and materials.

The pulp and paper business has changed considerably since the early 1900’s. It’s still a highly skilled craft where great care must be taken to select the best raw materials and transform them into a quality pulp that produces elegant and durable papers. But modern machinery and technology now play a significant role in crafting that final product.

Which is why, in 1996, Cheney went through a major equipment and facility upgrade in order to provide superior pulp products, and to produce better-sheeted and dried bales of pulp for our customers’ convenience, and quality control. Again, in the year 2000, Cheney made another major capital investment in equipment – in order to stay on the leading edge of quality pulp production for specialty papers.

Visit the Why Cheney and Making Paper and Pulp areas of our website for more details on our current processes and product quality controls.

Today our customers are worldwide. To supply pulps to their unique and exacting specifications, we produce many different grades, including securities, diazo, industrial grades, and a variety of cotton-content products. Contact Us for more information on how we might be able to help you.