EAST MILLINOCKET — Gov. Paul LePage greeted dozens of paper workers who have returned to work in northern Maine mills that have reopened under a sale brokered by the state.

The governor greeted workers as they entered a gate at Great Northern Paper’s East Millinocket mill today. The sale of the long-shuttered Katahdin paper mills in Millinocket and East Millinocket to Cate Street Capital of Portsmouth, N.H., was completed in late September.

Meeting with a few dozen workers today, LePage said the sale was a “very long and complicated process.” He thanked the workers for their patience throughout the process.

The mills were sold by Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management.

The new company will be called Great Northern Paper Co. LLC.