Georgia-Pacific to Close Its Foley Cellulose Facility in Perry, Florida

The Foley Cellulose mill in Perry, Florida, produces specialty and fluff pulp.

Sept. 20, 2023 - Georgia-Pacific on Sept. 18 informed employees at its Foley Cellulose mill in Perry, Florida, that the company plans to permanently close the facility.

All the approximately 525 jobs at the mill will be impacted by this closure.

The Foley mill produces specialty and fluff pulp.

According to Georgia-Pacific, various factors influenced this difficult decision. Ultimately, GP does not believe that the mill can competitively serve its customers in the long term despite the significant investments and commitment by GP Cellulose since the site was acquired in 2013.

GP noted that this is a strategic decision that was made prior to Hurricane Idalia and is not a reflection of the hard work and effort of the Foley team.

Production will continue for a limited time as the site works to fulfill as many customer commitments as possible.

The mill plans a safe and orderly shutdown, GP said.

GP's focus in the coming weeks and months is to continue to safely operate while supporting our employees during the transition.

History of the Foley Cellulose Mill

The Foley Cellulose mill, near Perry, Florida, is a major producer of specialty fibers from predominantly slash pine. Constructed by Procter & Gamble in 1954, the facility was acquired by a private business partnership in 1993 when P&G sold its Cellulose and Specialties Division. The partnership evolved into a publicly traded company, Buckeye Technologies, Inc., in November 1995, before finally being acquired by Georgia-Pacific in the summer of 2013.

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.

SOURCE: Georgia-Pacific