Georgia Pacific to Invest $70 Million in Gurdon Plant Upgrades

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Georgia-Pacific announced two major investments that will benefit Gurdon and Clark County communities in South Arkansas.

The company has decided to invest $70 million towards upgrades to its lumber and plywood operations in the community. This will help sustain nearly 700 jobs at the company's facilities in Clark County. In addition, the company has also committed $100,000 towards installing a multi-use playing field in the community, which will be shared by the three schools in the region. The playing field will also be used by the city for conducting community events. This investment will be over a period of five years, said the company press release.

The investment in the mills will help Georgia-Pacific to boost the mills' efficiency and capacity. The company plans to install an advanced merchandiser to determine best end-product use. Also, it aims to install new panel assembly stations with state-of-the-art scanning systems. The investment also covers upgraded power plant and software and security enhancements. The upgrades are expected to be completed by 2020. The investment is expected to generate an overall economic impact of $169 million in the region.

Mike White, Western Regional Operations Manager, Georgia-Pacific noted that the mill improvements will lead to transformation of its Gurdon facilities. Further, it will result in significant improvement in utilization of raw materials. The investment is a testimony of the work, commitment and loyalty of its employees and its long-standing relationship with Gurdon and Clark County.