Not all paper mills were located in Kalamazoo itself. In fact, many mills could be found in surrounding communities. One of these was the Mac Sim Bar Paper Company, which specialized in paper board. Mac Sim Bar was founded in Otsego in 1906, about fifteen miles north of Kalamazoo. The company’s unusual name was derived from three of its founding officers, M.B. McClellan, S.W. Simpson, and George E. Bardeen. The mill was operated by Rock-Tenn Company prior to its closure in 2004.
