New $150M lumber plant to employ more than 130

ALBANY — Georgia-Pacific announced plans on Tuesday to build a new regional lumber production facility at the Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park in east Albany on U.S. Highway 82.

Construction on the $150 million, 320,000-square-foot, technologically advanced plant is targeted to begin this year with an anticipated startup in late fall 2019. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to employ more than 130 fulltime employees and generate an estimated $5 million in annual payroll.

“Albany-Dougherty County is an ideal site for the latest of three new lumber production facilities in the Southeast,” Fritz Mason, vice president and general manager of Georgia-Pacific Lumber, said. “The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, the Albany-Dougherty Payroll Development Authority and the Georgia Department of Economic Development have been incredibly supportive of this new venture, and we look forward to a long and beneficial relationship.”

Gov. Nathan Deal praised Georgia-Pacific’s commitment to Georgia.

“We are proud that Georgia-Pacific will expand upon its significant presence in Georgia,” Deal said. “As one of the nation’s most successful brands, Georgia-Pacific recognizes the benefits of operating in the top state for business. From our highway system that allows trucks to reach 80 percent of the U.S. market in two days to our existing work force trained for this industry, Georgia offers a wealth of resources to help Georgia-Pacific reach its goals with this new facility.

“We value Georgia-Pacific’s commitment to creating quality jobs in Georgia and look forward to further strengthening this partnership in the years to come.”

Once in production, the new facility expects to receive approximately 180 log trucks a day and produce approximately 300 million board-feet of lumber a year.

The new Albany facility comes on the heels of two recent plant openings in Talladega, Ala., and Warren County, Ga.

“Last year, we announced a similar project in Talladega, Ala., that will begin production this summer. The facility at Warrenton is the second of several we have in our current plan,” Mason said. “The demand for lumber continues to improve as the housing market recovers, so we continue to evaluate similar investments in several states across the country to serve our customers’ needs for lumber.”

Albany officials were elated at the news.

“We have been thrilled to support and work on this project, which will serve to expand Georgia-Pacific’s footprint and connect our citizens to quality jobs that pay a quality wage,” Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said. “This operation is a great fit for Albany-Dougherty County, as it will capitalize on our assets in transportation infrastructure, natural resources and workforce readiness.”

According to Wes Clarke at the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the lumber production facility will support about 340 total jobs in the state, in addition to the 130 full-time jobs at the facility.

Operations will support an additional 100 jobs in the Albany area and more than 100 elsewhere in the state, either indirectly or through an induced effect. The capital investment in Dougherty County will support approximately 440 full-time jobs in the state during construction, including construction workers, associated trades and jobs at suppliers providing materials for the project.

Currently, there are more than 7,200 Georgia-Pacific employees at 18 facilities in Georgia that represent an additional 21,500 indirect jobs. Since 2012 Georgia-Pacific has invested approximately $1 billion in additional capital and acquisitions in Georgia.

“The location of this project in Albany-Dougherty County is a huge win for our community,” Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard said. “Georgia-Pacific has been a great corporate citizen in Albany through its corrugated box plant for many years, and we look forward to further expanding our relationship with them through the new lumber plant.”