JACKSON, Tennessee
,
July 8, 2024
(press release)
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It’s official: Dixie® plates are being manufactured in Jackson, Tennessee. After nearly two years of planning and construction, the newly built Dixie facility began operating its converting assets in June 2024. Some construction is still being completed at the site, but the Jackson team has safely hit the ground running and exceeded its early production targets. Georgia-Pacific broke ground on the more than $425 million facility in December 2022 and raised the final beam in the fall of 2023. It’s the largest single investment in Madison County history. In the fall of 2023, the final beam was signed and raised at the construction site to commemorate the build of the 900,000-square-foot Dixie facility. The 900,000-square-foot facility sits on 240 acres west of Jackson. The fully air-conditioned workspace will include a printer, associated plate-forming converting assets, and other state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. Anticipated hiring for the new site will eclipse 220 by 2025. The state-of-the-art facility will significantly increase the supply of disposable tableware products—namely, plates and bowls—in the marketplace while supporting the Livingware and GP Pro business segments. “Although we have invested to expand existing sites, this is the first new Dixie® plant the company has built since 1991,” explains Fernando Gonzalez, president of the consumer business at Georgia-Pacific. “This added capacity will help us meet the needs of our customers as consumer demand for high-quality, durable paper plates and bowls continues to grow.” “Companies choose to invest in Tennessee because of our skilled workforce and unmatched business climate,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “I commend Georgia-Pacific’s commitment to creating more than 200 jobs in Jackson so that Tennesseans across the region can thrive.” A team of Jackson employees laid the groundwork for a successful startup. Georgia-Pacific has a long history of investing in people, and the Jackson plant will provide development for team members to allow them the opportunity to grow their careers. In anticipation of a successful launch, groups of Jackson Dixie employees engaged in a series of knowledge-sharing sessions with their counterparts in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They focused on innovation, equipment, and vital skills during the immersive training experience.
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