Attracting new corporate headquarters to Georgia draws lots of attention — deservedly so. Announcements of business expansions are similarly celebrated, again as they should be. And the idea of creating manufacturing jobs in America is seemingly today’s holy grail. So why has so little comment been made about the recent announcements of two new production facilities in east Georgia totaling a quarter billion dollars in investment? After all, it is news that benefits both Georgias – metropolitan and the rural parts of our state.
Georgia-Pacific (GP), the Atlanta-based forest products company, announced last week the construction of a $135 million dimensional-lumber mill in Warrenton, west of Augusta. The 340,000-square foot, state-of-the-art plant is scheduled to begin operation in spring 2019. Shortly after the announcement from GP, Canfor, a lumber manufacturer headquartered in Canada, announced that it will begin construction of a $120 million sawmill in Washington, near Athens and Augusta.
These announcements highlight continued investment in Georgia’s forest product industry. GP, which has invested $1.9 billion in capital and acquisitions in Georgia since 2006, employs 7,200 people at 18 locations across the state. Canfor also completed its acquisition of two lumber mills in Moultrie and Thomasville last year and announced a $28 million expansion of its mill in Moultrie. And there’s more.
Interfor, another North American forest product company, acquired seven mills in Georgia since 2013, set up its Southern Regional Headquarters in Peachtree City and has invested nearly $500 million to date in Georgia. Graphic Packaging, a pulp-and-paper company headquartered in Sandy Springs, announced last year that it would invest $136 million in the modernization of its Macon mill, helping retain more than 460 manufacturing jobs. West Fraser, a British Columbia company, bought Georgia softwood lumber mills in Dudley, Blackshear and Fitzgerald from the Gilman Foundation in a $430 million deal in July. And European-based DS Smith purchased 80 percent of Interstate Resources, including its assets in Georgia for $920 million.
As Georgia seeks solutions for rural economic development, our state’s forest products industry is a model that leverages our natural, human, higher education and logistics resources. In fact, Georgia is in a position of privilege as the No. 1 forestry state in the nation. Companies worldwide recognize that powerful combination in a state that has been acknowledged as the best in which to do business. That adds up to attracting investment where Georgia most needs it — benefiting rural Georgia and Metro Atlanta alike.
From the Athens Banner-Herald: https://www.onlineathens.com/news/20180316/villegas-georgias-working-forestry-industry-benefits-both-rural-and-metro-georgia