Georgia-Pacific will invest $800 million in an expansion of the company’s Alabama River Cellulose mill.
The expansion will make the Perdue Hill facility in Monroe County the largest softwood pulp mill in the United States, the company says.
The project is scheduled to begin this year and be finished in 2027. It is expected to increase production capacity by 300 tons per day.
The mill produces close to 1 million tons of fluff and market pulp yearly. That’s used to make goods such as baby diapers, facial tissue and kitchen towels.
“Modernizing this mill reinforces our commitment to meeting our customers’ current and long-term demand for high-quality fluff and market pulp,” said Munir Abdallah, president of GP Cellulose, a subsidiary of Georgia-Pacific. “The investment also means our cellulose business will be well-positioned to meet the growing needs of emerging markets.”
Georgia-Pacific acquired the Monroe County facility in 2020 and has invested more than $700 million into the mill, including an $80 million expansion in 2022.
Gov. Kay Ivey said the new expansion will have a major impact on rural Monroe County.
“Georgia-Pacific’s $800 million investment in its Alabama River Cellulose mill represents a powerful vote of confidence in our state’s workforce and business climate,” she said. “This project not only strengthens one of Monroe County’s cornerstone employers, but it also ensures that Alabama will continue to play a leading role in supplying the materials that go into essential everyday products used around the world.”
