A Canadian company has revealed plans for a significant investment of $600 million aimed at expanding its tissue paper manufacturing facility in Macon, Georgia. This expansion is expected to create an additional 100 job opportunities at the site.
Irving Tissue has made this decision as the Macon mill has reached full capacity, producing all the bath tissue and paper towels it can handle. To meet the growing demand, the company will be adding a third paper machine, which is projected to boost the overall production by 50%.
According to Marc Doucette, the vice president of communications at Irving, the success of the Macon plant has prompted this decision, highlighting that the current output has been entirely sold out. He expressed confidence that the Macon facility is the right site for this planned expansion.
The company, which already employs around 400 individuals, announced the expansion plans in conjunction with the celebration of the mill’s fifth anniversary, which specializes in private-label products for various retailers. Additionally, the expansion will encompass an automated warehouse along with new converting lines, facilitating the transformation of raw tissue into finished goods. Company President Robert K. Irving indicated that the necessary pulp for the new machine will be sourced from their mill in Saint John, New Brunswick, with wood coming from timberlands owned by the company in both New Brunswick and Maine.
The completion of the automated warehouse is anticipated by 2026, while the new paper machine is scheduled to start operations in 2027, Doucette stated. Upon its opening in 2019, the factory featured only one paper machine; however, a second machine was installed shortly thereafter.
Currently, the Macon plant has an annual production capacity of 165,000 tons (150,000 metric tons) of tissue. Once the expansion is finished, production is expected to rise significantly to 248,000 tons (225,000 metric tons).
Employee wages at the Macon facility range from $22 to over $30 per hour, translating to annual salaries between $45,760 and upwards of $62,400, according to Doucette. Furthermore, the company could be eligible for up to $2 million in state income tax credits, calculated at $4,000 per job over a five-year period, provided that the employees earn a minimum of $35,600 annually. Macon-Bibb County may also offer property tax reductions concerning Irving’s equipment and property holdings. Doucette mentioned that discussions regarding various tax incentives and abatements are currently underway.
Irving Tissue, which operates from Dieppe, New Brunswick, is a segment of a family-held industrial conglomerate with diverse interests, including oil, railroads, media, and shipyard operations.