Georgia-Pacific to Invest $100 Million in Bowling Green Dixie Facility
Expansion to increase production capacity of plates and bowls
BOWLING GREEN, Ky., May 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Delicious news from Georgia-Pacific's Consumer Products Group today: the company is investing a heaping Dixie plateful of money in its Bowling Green, Kentucky, manufacturing facility. The nearly $100 million investment will expand operations meaning more Dixie plates and bowls to go around. Construction has already begun, and the project is expected to be finished in the first half of 2020.
"This is great news for our Dixie business and the Bowling Greenplant. This expansion will help us continue meeting the needs of our customers as demand continues to grow for high-quality, durable paper plates and bowls," said Erik Sjogren, vice president and general manager of livingware at Georgia-Pacific. "We believe this expansion will also position our Bowling Green Dixie facility to remain competitive in the market and in the local community for the long-term."
The Bowling Green plant produces Dixie paper plates and bowls in varying sizes. This latest expansion will include a new building and the addition of a new printer and several new plate forming presses. The project will create more than 50 full-time jobs increasing total employment at the plant to about 200 people.
"Georgia-Pacific's investment of $100 million demonstrates the company's continued commitment to the commonwealth and the Bowling Green community," said Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. "For nearly three decades, the Dixie facility has served up opportunities for Kentuckians, and this latest announcement of more than 50 new full-time jobs will provide our highly-skilled workforce with even more pathways to success. Georgia-Pacific produces some of the world's most iconic household name brands, and we are grateful they have found an enduring home here in Kentucky, America's engineering and manufacturing center of excellence."
Jimmy Lindsay, plant director at the Bowling Green Dixie facility, said, "We are excited to expand production at Bowling Green. This is a great plant with an excellent safety record, modern facilities and a highly-skilled and qualified workforce. This investment is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our workforce to continuously create value for our customers and the community."
Originally built in 1991, the plant has seen several expansions in its more than 25 years in operation. Production at the facility represents about one quarter of all paper plates and bowls produced by Georgia-Pacific.
Bowling Green is one of two facilities Georgia-Pacific operates in Kentucky – the second is a Dixie facility in Lexington. Statewide, the company currently employs nearly 500 people directly, pays $28 million in direct wages and benefits and creates approximately 1,000 indirect jobs. Since 2013, the company has invested $66 million in state operations.
Georgia-Pacific is hiring for several open roles at the Bowling Green Dixie plant. Interested in joining a great team and a great company? Please visit www.gp.com/careers to learn more.
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, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras® 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 recyclers of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates nearly 200 facilities and employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com.
CONTACT: Media Inquiries: Rachel Ryan, Georgia-Pacific, 404-333-2076, Rachel.Ryan@gapac.com
Web Site: http://www.gp.com
