Leah Androski
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Georgia-Pacific (GP) Foley Cellulose Mill in Perry, Fla., plans to permanently close the facility.
GP does not believe the mill can competitively serve its customers long-term despite the investments and commitment by GP Cellulose. This decision was made before Hurricane Idalia and is not because of the hard work and effort of the Foley team.
Approximately 525 jobs at the mill will be impacted. Production will continue for a limited time as the site works to fulfill as many customer needs as possible. The mill is planning a safe and orderly shutdown. GP’s focus in the future is to safely operate while supporting their employees as they shut down.
“Production and runtime for this site will continue as the site works to fulfill customer orders; however, an overall schedule has not been finalized,” said Robert Mixon, a spokesman with GP in an email with WCTV news.
Mixon pledged that GP will be offering severance packages for eligible salaried employees. The mill will be bargaining with United Steel Workers (the union that represents hourly workers at the mill) on employee benefits, including severance packages, for hourly workers.
“During the coming months, Georgia-Pacific will work with affected employees who are interested in transitions to other opportunities within Georgia-Pacific, other Koch (Brothers) companies or opportunities outside of the company,” added Mixon. “Georgia-Pacific is committed to supporting employees in finding employment through job fairs and placement services or other available resources. We will work with local community and state agencies that can provide additional transitional support to employees.”
Coming on the heels of a devastating hurricane, the community of Perry is facing a great deal of uncertainty. Perry City Council member Ward Ketering attempted to ease some fears. “There is an effort to find a buyer and keep the mill operational,” said Ketering in a social media post. “There’s no way I can promise anything will come from it. I can promise that, at the end of the day, we will have exhausted every possible option to keep the mill going. We will not give up on our town. We are going through some trying times. I’m not saying it will be easy and I’m not saying it won’t be painful. I am saying don’t give up. We will overcome this.”
The mill is Taylor County’s largest employer, with many employees coming from outside Taylor County. It has been in the community since since the 1950s, when it was opened as a Proctor and Gamble mill. GP began operating the mill in 2013.