ATLANTA, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia-Pacific today announced that it has begun the final construction phase at its nearly complete oriented strand board (OSB) facility at Clarendon, S.C.  The mill was part of the acquisition last May from Grant Forest Products that also included an operating plant at Allendale, S.C., and another operating plant at Englehart, Ontario.  The acquisition totaled approximately $400 million. 

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030425/PAPLOGO )

"We expect it will take most of this year to complete construction on the plant," said Mark Luetters, president – Georgia-Pacific wood products.  "We are currently planning to start the plant in December 2011.  Having now operated an identical plant at Allendale, we believe we will be able to quickly and efficiently begin producing OSB."  

Luetters said Georgia-Pacific will spend an additional $30 million to complete the facility.  The amount includes a construction crew of more than 100 people, plus the purchase and installation of the remaining equipment and infrastructure.  Once completed, both Clarendon and Allendale (which also employs about 150 people) will supply markets across the eastern United States with the versatile building material used in residential construction.  

"This facility gives Georgia-Pacific the ability to provide enhanced service and value for our existing and potential customers," said Clarence Young, vice president – structural panels sales and marketing.  "Clarendon will enable us to expand our product offerings, which in turn allows us to better support our customers' needs." Georgia-Pacific OSB products include BlueRibbon^® rated sheathing and sub-floor, Thermostat^® OSB radiant barrier sheathing, DryGuard^® enhanced OSB sub-floor and Nautilus^® wall sheathing with pre-applied house wrap, plus larger panels used in manufactured home applications.

Applications for about 150 permanent positions, including management, craft and production roles at the facility, will be accepted through the company's website at www.gp.com/careers and through One Stop Workforce at www.slworkforcedev.org beginning April 11.

"We're looking forward to getting this plant operating, and to working with the people in the Clarendon area.  This facility has world-class scale and capabilities and will enhance our competitive position in a very challenging industry," said Luetters.  Georgia-Pacific and other Koch companies employ nearly 2,200 people directly and support more than 8,000 South Carolina jobs in total. Total compensation and benefits in South Carolina is approximately $120 million annually.

Headquartered at Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of building products, tissue, packaging, paper, cellulose and related chemicals. The company employs more than 40,000 people at more than 300 locations in North America, South America and Europe. Georgia-Pacific creates long-term value by using resources efficiently to provide innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of customers and society, while operating in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible and economically sound.  The company has long been among the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers, with brands such as Plytanium^® plywood, DryPly^® water repellent plywood, Ply-Bead^® panels and Wood I Beam^™ and XJ 85^™ joists offered by Georgia-Pacific Wood Products LLC.  DensArmor Plus^® interior panels, DensGlass^® Sheathing and ToughRock^® drywall are offered by Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC. The familiar consumer tissue brands of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP include Quilted Northern^®, Angel Soft^®, Brawny^®, Sparkle^®, Soft 'n Gentle^®, Mardi Gras^®, So-Dri^® and Vanity Fair^®.  Dixie Consumer Products LLC, a Georgia-Pacific company, manufactures the Dixie^® brand of tabletop products.   For more information, visit www.gp.com

SOURCE Georgia-Pacific