Georgia-Pacific expands North Florida paper manufacturing plant with $83 million investment
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- Georgia-Pacific expands North Florida paper manufacturing plant with $83 million investment
Written By Marcia Pledger
Georgia-Pacific is investing $83 million to expand warehouse and distribution operations at its Palatka, Florida mill, where imported wood pulp moving through JAXPORT is used to manufacture tissue products for some of the country’s best-known consumer brands. The project is designed to improve shipping efficiency, strengthen the company’s supply chain and support one of Northeast Florida’s largest manufacturing facilities.
The expansion includes a new 400,000-square-foot warehouse that will allow the company to ship products directly to retailers while reducing transportation costs.
“Today, finished paper products are routed through regional distribution centers, where multiple Georgia-Pacific products are consolidated into a single truckload before shipment to retailers,” said Chris Gent, spokesman for the company. “Once the warehouse is operational, more of that work will be performed in Palatka. That will increase shipping flexibility, helping the mill respond more efficiently to orders and better meet customer demand.”
The Palatka mill property spans 6,600 acres, 580 of which comprise the manufacturing operation. The mill relies on JAXPORT as a gateway for imported raw materials. Nearly 450,000 tons of wood pulp move through the port each year—a 12 percent increase over the past three years—to support paper manufacturing throughout the region.
Georgia Pacific uses this pulp to produce tissue products for brands including Brawny®, Sparkle®, Angel Soft® and Quilted Northern®, as well as private-label paper towels and bath tissue.
“JAXPORT is critical to our operation, serving as the gateway for approximately 75,000 tons of eucalyptus pulp we import from Brazil each year,” said Vin Webster, vice president of manufacturing. “That fiber is essential to producing the soft, strong and absorbent tissue products our customers rely on every day.”
The mill also manufactures kraft paper (a type of durable paper made from wood pulp) used for recyclable mailers, grocery bags, butcher paper, and linerboard used in producing corrugated boxes.
“A large amount of the products that we make in Palatka goes to a warehouse in Jacksonville,” said Gent. “We don’t have capability or space to do it here, so it goes to Jacksonville before it’s shipped to retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Target.”
Georgia-Pacific’s new warehouse will connect to the existing facility and incorporate self-guided vehicles and other advanced technology designed to improve safety and efficiency at the mill’s loading docks. The project is aimed at strengthening the company’s distribution network and improving shipping efficiency to retail customers. Construction is expected to be completed in June 2027.
“Unlike discretionary purchases, consumers buy toilet paper and paper towels regardless of economic conditions,” said Gent. “These are household staples with consistent demand. More people and more households naturally increase consumption of tissue products.”
As part of the expansion, the company built a 36-acre trailer yard with capacity for 574 trailers, a new inspection station and a dedicated entrance on County Road 216. The improvements were designed to streamline truck traffic and support higher-volume outbound shipments.
Georgia-Pacific has 30,000 employees and 150 locations nationwide. About 1,030 people work at the Palatka mill, which is located about an hour from Jacksonville and is Putnam County’s largest private employer. More than 20 new jobs are being created through the company’s Palatka expansion.
The mill has a significant role in the local economy, providing employment to more than 1,000 individuals and generating an additional 2,426 indirect jobs in the community.
