Georgia-Pacific

Georgia-Pacific LLC
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Pulp and paper
Predecessor	Georgia Hardwood Lumber Co.
Founded	September 22, 1927; 99 years ago in Augusta, Georgia, United States
Founder	Owen Robertson Cheatham
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Area served	North America, South America, Europe
Key people	Robert B. Pamplin (President from 1957)
Products	Tissue, pulp, paper, packaging materials, building products, related chemicals
Owner	Koch Industries
Number of employees	35,000+ (2019)

Georgia-Pacific LLC is a leading American company in the pulp and paper industry, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It ranks among the top global producers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging materials, building products, and related chemicals—largely derived from its own timber resources. Since 2005, it has functioned as an independently operated subsidiary within Koch Industries. By 2019, Georgia-Pacific employed more than 35,000 individuals across upwards of 180 sites throughout North America, South America, and Europe.

History

Georgia-Pacific was established on September 22, 1927, by entrepreneur Owen Robertson Cheatham in Augusta, Georgia, originally named the Georgia Hardwood Lumber Co., following the acquisition of a wholesale hardwood lumber yard. Despite facing difficulties during the Great Depression, the enterprise expanded its plywood and sawmill operations. The company entered the West Coast market by acquiring its first facility there in 1947 and changed its name to Georgia-Pacific Plywood & Lumber Company in 1948.

In 1956, it adopted the name Georgia-Pacific Corporation. The appointment of President Robert B. Pamplin in 1957 marked the company’s entry into pulp and paper manufacturing with the construction of a kraft pulp and linerboard mill in Toledo, Oregon—the only mill of this type it ever built. Georgia-Pacific expanded its presence through strategic acquisitions such as Union Lumber (1973), US Plywood (1987), American Forest Products Corporation (1988), Great Northern Nekoosa (1990), and Fort James Corporation (2000)—the latter being a merger of Fort Howard Corporation, James River Corporation, and Crown-Zellerbach.

Between 1996 and 2000, the company divested substantial timberland holdings to Sierra Pacific Industries, Hawthorne Timber, and Plum Creek Timber. In 2001, four uncoated paper mills were sold to Canadian paper manufacturer Domtar for $1.65 billion.

On November 13, 2005, Koch Industries announced plans to acquire Georgia-Pacific for $21 billion; the deal was completed on December 23. This acquisition took the company private and removed it from the New York Stock Exchange where it traded under GP. The corporate headquarters continue to be located in the Georgia-Pacific Tower in Atlanta.

Georgia-Pacific further expanded through acquisitions such as Grant Forest Products’ oriented strand board (OSB) plants in Ontario and South Carolina for around $400 million—a transaction finalized in July 2013 after regulatory clearance. In June 2014, it acquired SPG Holdings to broaden its building products offerings.

Regarding labor relations, the company experienced a significant two-week strike at its Taylorsville, Mississippi facility in 2018.

Brand names

Georgia-Pacific markets a wide range of brands across multiple product lines:

Toilet paper and facial tissue are represented by Angel Soft and Quilted Northern.
Its building and remodeling product lines include Blue Ribbon, Clutter Cutter, DensArmor Plus, DensDeck, DensGlass, DensShield, DryPly, FireGuard, GP Lam, Hushboard, Nautilus, Ply-Bead, Plytanium, Southern Gold, Sta-Strait, Thermostat, ToughRock, Wood I Beam, and XJ 85.
Paper towel brands include Sparkle and Brawny.
Vanity Fair is positioned as a premium napkin brand.
Tableware products include Dixie Insulair, PerfecTouch, and Ultra.
Office paper is marketed under Advantage, Image Plus, and Spectrum.

Brands that have been discontinued encompass Soft n' Gentle (toilet paper), Zee (napkins and paper towels), and Mardi Gras (napkins and paper towels). The company targets various market segments by offering Angel Soft and Sparkle as value-oriented brands while Quilted Northern and Brawny cater to premium consumers.

Environmental record

Georgia-Pacific has encountered environmental challenges and associated cleanup obligations related to its business activities. In 1995, the corporation played a role in shaping legislation that curtailed an EPA investigation into emissions from wood product manufacturing facilities, thereby avoiding expensive pollution control requirements at numerous plants. Despite this, the company pledged to implement necessary emission controls where applicable.

The firm is actively involved in significant environmental cleanup initiatives addressing PCB pollution in waterways such as Wisconsin’s Fox River and Michigan’s Kalamazoo River. It has supported efforts to remove dams as part of river restoration projects. Through legal agreements, Georgia-Pacific has been mandated to allocate over $35 million toward environmental rehabilitation at locations including the Plainwell Impoundment Area and the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site.

As the leading consumer of de-inked recycled fiber via its subsidiary GP Harmon, Georgia-Pacific utilizes this eco-friendly resource extensively within its production processes. The company has broadened its recycling activities into markets like Mexico and China, anticipating ongoing demand fueled by expanding middle-class populations.

The Crossett, Arkansas paper mill was highlighted in the 2016 documentary Company Town, which raised issues concerning alleged improper waste management linked to local cancer incidence clusters. This case illustrates persistent difficulties in managing large-scale operations alongside environmental stewardship.

Awards and charity

In 2009, Georgia-Pacific, a Koch Industries subsidiary, earned the EPA's SmartWay Excellence award for its initiatives to improve energy efficiency and lower air emissions in freight transportation. By 2008, 93% of the company’s freight was transported by SmartWay Transport Partners, marking a 47% increase compared to the previous year. The company also grew intermodal shipping by 39%, enhanced load packing efficiency, reduced empty backhauls by 10%, and adopted an idling reduction policy across its twelve distribution centers. Furthermore, Georgia-Pacific organized a fuel conservation summit to engage shippers and carriers in strategies for reducing fuel usage.

From 1988 through 2013, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation Scholarship Program has granted nearly $10.5 million in college scholarships to children of employees.

External links