Georgia-Pacific announced Monday that it would invest at least $425 million to construct a Dixie manufacturing facility in Jackson, Tennessee.
Fernando Gonzalez, Georgia-Pacific’s president of consumer business, said, “Although we have invested to expand existing sites, this is the first new Dixie plant the company has built since 1991. This added capacity will help us meet the needs of our customers as consumer demand for high-quality, durable paper plates and bowls continues to grow.”
The Georgia-Pacific facility will be 900,000 square feet and located on the Highway 223 East site. Through this project, Georgia-Pacific will create an additional 220 jobs for the citizens of Madison County.
Governor Bill Lee said, “Companies choose to invest in Tennessee because of our skilled workforce and unmatched business climate. I commend Georgia-Pacific’s commitment to create more than 200 jobs in Jackson, so that Tennesseans across the region can thrive.”
Jackson, located in Madison County, is approximately 70 miles from Memphis and has a population of approximately 67,000. Mayor AJ Massey was elected as Madison County Mayor this year, taking office on September 1.
Massey expressed his excitement for this new opportunity for Madison County.
“This major investment in our community not only further strengthens our local economy but also emphasizes our area’s qualified workforce and great location for companies to thrive. Through our K-12 schools, technical college, and universities, we are continuing to focus on developing the skills to create a workforce capable of meeting the needs of our industries both now and in the future,” he said.
Jackson Mayor Scott Conger said this is “the largest single investment” in the city’s history.
“It has been a pleasure working with the Georgia-Pacific team over the last 18 months, and we are proud the company is calling Jackson home,” he said.
Construction for this project is expected to begin before the end of this year and is anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2024.
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Kaitlyn Osteen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Send Kaitlyn news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Georgia-Pacific” by Billy Hathorn. CC BY-SA 3.0.
“Governor Bill Lee said, ‘Companies choose to invest in Tennessee because of our skilled workforce and unmatched business climate. I commend Georgia-Pacific’s commitment to create more than 200 jobs in Jackson, so that Tennesseans across the region can thrive.”’
What was left unsaid is what “incentives” Lee and his EDC gave away to get Georgia- Pacific to commit to this. You, know, the slush fund used to lure (hopefully) successful business operations to the state. Growth at any cost (and the cost of growth is sky high) appears to be the mantra of all Tennessee government, state and local.