Georgia-Pacific to invest $120 million in Choctaw County mill
Georgia-Pacific announced plans to invest more than $120 million to add a new tissue machine and roll storage building at its mill in Choctaw County, the latest substantial investment in the facility. The new projects continue Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific’s modernization of the Naheola mill, which includes ongoing construction of a new biomass boiler and woodyard. Georgia-Pacific said the modernization projects position the mill and its overall business to be competitive in the market. “This is one of many investments we are making at our operations across the state of Alabama, and it highlights the long history and great relationships we have in the state and in the communities where we operate,” said Christian Fischer, CEO and president of Georgia-Pacific. In the past five years, Georgia-Pacific’s capital investment at the Naheola mill has totaled more than $500 million, and its statewide investments have totaled approximately $1.6 billion. Across Alabama, Georgia-Pacific operates eight facilities, employs more than 2,600 employees directly and pays more than $204 million in direct wages and benefits. Project benefits The Naheola mill employs more than 900 people. The Alabama mill produces retail bath tissue and paper towels used by consumers and also makes bleached paperboard, which is sold on the market and used to make Georgia-Pacific’s Dixie plates, cups and bowls. “This is a great day to celebrate for our employees, the Naheola mill community and, most importantly, for our current and future customers,” said Kathy Walters, group president of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products Group. “All of these stakeholders benefit from these investments to make the Naheola mill a modern and competitive operation.” Georgia-Pacific said engineering and related work has begun on the project, and startup of the new machine is scheduled for 2020. An average of 200 construction and contract-related workers are expected to be onsite at the mill every day during the project, with a potential peak of 400 contract workers per day at the height of construction. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.
Georgia-Pacific to invest $50 million in upgrades at Alabama mill
Georgia-Pacific is investing $50 million to upgrade the paperboard machine at the company’s mill in Escambia County, following the completion of a $388 million energy improvement project that involved two years of construction. Set to begin in late summer, Georgia-Pacific said the new project in Brewton will rebuild part of the machine and improve the quality of the mill’s white-top linerboard product, increasing the facility’s competitiveness. “The investments in Brewton, and across Alabama, drive home our focus on continuously improving operations and meeting the needs of our customers, our company and communities for the long term,” Georgia-Pacific President and CEO Christian Fischer said. “I’m proud of the hard work and dedication from our 450 Brewton employees and I’m confident that the mill is positioned for continued success,” he said. On Saturday, local and state officials joined Georgia-Pacific Brewton mill employees and their families to formally mark completion of the energy improvement project. That project modernized and streamlined the mix of equipment in the mill’s recovery boiler system. ‘New day in Alabama’ Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey attended the event, which drew around 700 people. “Georgia Pacific’s total investment of $438 million to grow and expand its business is a testament to the continued opportunity for the success of economic investment in Alabama. Our state is a great place to live, work and to raise a family,” Ivey said. “I am committed to continuing to work with existing businesses, like Georgia-Pacific, and to attract new ones to invest here. It’s a new day in Alabama and we’re open for business,” she added. Georgia-Pacific produces white-top linerboard and solid bleached cartonboard at the mill, which is the largest employer in Brewton, with approximately 450 employees. “Today is not just a celebration of this project, but also a day to acknowledge the hard work and commitment our employees made in making this a reality for the mill,” Jeff Joyce, vice president and general manager at the Brewton mill, said at the event. “Today is about recognizing what we’ve achieved, celebrating those successes and turning our focus to our future and the other important projects planned for our long-term growth.” $1.2 billion invested In the last five years, Georgia-Pacific has invested approximately $8.5 billion into operations across the country, including Alabama, where approximately $1.2 billion in capital has been invested to grow existing operations, acquire new operations, and improve safety and environmental performance across all businesses. That includes a $110 million project announced in 2015 to upgrade its Alabama River Cellulose facility in Perdue Hill in Monroe County. Georgia-Pacific employs approximately 2,300 people in Alabama. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
