Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 04 April 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, South Carolina. The mill was part of the acquisition last May from Grant Forest Products that also included an operating plant at Allendale, South Carolina, and another operating plant at Englehart, Ontario, Canada. The acquisition totaled approximately USD 400 million. 

"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 USD 30 million to complete the facility. The amount will cover costs for a construction crew of more than 100 people, plus the purchase and installation of the remaining equipment and infrastructure. When completed, Clarendon, along with Allendale (which also employs about 150 people), will supply markets across the eastern United States with OSB for 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."

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

"We're looking forward to getting this plant operating, and to working with the people in the Clarendon area," Said Luetters. "This facility has world-class scale and capabilities and will enhance our competitive position in a very challenging industry," he said. Georgia-Pacific and other Koch companies employ nearly 2200 people directly and support more than 8000 South Carolina jobs in total. Total compensation and benefits in South Carolina is approximately USD 120 million annually.

Headquartered at Atlanta, Georgia, 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. The company also manufacturers consumer tissue and tabletop products. For more information, visit www.gp.com.