GEORGIA-PACIFIC ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION INVESTMENT TO GROW CONSUMER TOWEL BUSINESS

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Apr 18, 2023, 08:00 ET

ATLANTA and PORT HUDSON, La., April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia-Pacific is making significant investments, totaling more than $50 million, at its Port Hudson mill in Zachary, Louisiana. The investments will greatly enhance the company's retail consumer towel business.

Investments to the Port Hudson mill include upgrades to increase capacity and improve capability of existing converting equipment and enhance internal infrastructure. Construction has begun on this project, with startup of the lines scheduled for some time in mid-2023.

Forklift moves parent rolls used to manufacture tissue and towel at Georgia-Pacific's Port Hudson mill.

Georgia-Pacific Port Hudson employee prepares parent roll before it gets converted into premium paper towels.

The more than $50 million investment at Port Hudson will allow expansion of Georgia-Pacific’s own premium paper towel offerings, especially Brawny® Mega and Tear-A-Square®.

"This truly is an investment in our customers and consumers who value the quality of our products," said Vivek Joshi, president of the retail tissue, towel and napkin business for Georgia-Pacific. "It also allows us to further leverage the many advantages we have, including our breadth of offerings, excellence in manufacturing operations, commitment to quality and focus on research and development to create products that consumers value."

The improvements will allow expansion of Georgia-Pacific's own premium paper towel offerings, especially Brawny® Mega and Tear-A-Square®, as well as supporting the growth of current and potential customers' premium private label brands.

The Port Hudson mill currently operates two paper machines and a number of converting operations to make bath tissue and paper towels.

"I am so proud of the work of our team members in the past few years to make this mill a safe, competitive and strategic location for our Consumer Products business," said Vin Webster, vice president – manufacturing at the Port Hudson mill. "This investment is a direct result of their dedication to our mill, our customers and consumers and our community."

Adam Knapp, Baton Rouge Area Chamber president and CEO, added, "Georgia-Pacific's $50 million investment at its Zachary location shows a commitment to our community and the region's strength as a manufacturing hub. We are fortunate to have such a strong community partner in Georgia-Pacific, and we are here to support their continued growth. We thank our partners at LED and local officials with the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council, Zachary School Board, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office for their involvement in bringing this expansion to fruition."

About Georgia-Pacific

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers and building products. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle® and Vanity Fair®. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world's largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates more than 80,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com/about-us. For news, visit: news.gp.com