Georgia-Pacific to Shutter Three Particleboard Plants

Paper products manufacturer Georgia-Pacific (GP) plans to shutter three particleboard production facilities in the U.S. in the next few months, including a plant in Thomson, GA that was heavily damaged in a recent fire, the company announced in a release this week. 

The two other facilities slated for closure are located in Hope, AR and Monroeville, AL. Another GP particleboard plant in Diboll, TX will continue operating. 

In addition, Georiga-Pacific said it plans to close its bleached board operations at its Crossett, AR mill this October, including an extrusion plant, woodyard, pulp mill, and part of its energy complex. The company also plans to shut down an outdated tissue machine at the Crossett site. While 530 jobs will be cut when the bleached board operations are closed, some 500 workers will retain their positons at the mill.  

“Our Crossett employees have worked hard to safely and productively manage our operations here, and in recent years we have invested significantly in our operations. However, we have decided that the required investments needed for the bleached board machines, pulp mill, and woodyard to sustain the operation long-term are not economically viable,” Monty Brown, senior vice president of Consumer Products group operations at GP said in a statement. “We understand the impact this decision has on our employees, families, and the community, and we will work cooperatively with the state and the community to minimize that impact.”

Moving forward, the firm’s bleached board business will be supported by GP’s mills in Naheola and Brewton in Alabama and an extrusion plant in St. Marys, AL. 

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