CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (From news reports) -- With less than a month to go until the Pixelle Paper Mill in Chillicothe shuts down, thousands of people are urging the plant's parent company to help the hundreds of workers and the community find new opportunities.

In an open letter, Ross County business and government leaders said the sudden shift from closing at the end of the year to shutting down on Aug. 10 not only disrupted the future planning of families and businesses, but also damaged the trust between H.I.G. Capital and the community.

The letter goes on to say that the mill's closure will deal an economic blow of $1 billion to the state's economy, impacting more than 2,700 jobs across Ohio.

Business and community leaders are asking for regular updates about plans for the property, working collaboratively on future possibilities for the site, coordinating resources and helping with workforce development efforts.

They've asked H.I.G. to respond to the letter by Thursday.

The paper mill's owner his hosting a job fair on Wednesday for impacted employees. The event is happening from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Shoemaker Center on Ohio University's Chillicothe campus.

Workers can connect with regional employers and workforce development services.

The event is open only to paper mill employees.