Georgia-Pacific on Tuesday announced that it plans to begin a
ramp up of production at its oriented strand board (OSB) facility in Clarendon
County during the first quarter of 2013 bringing an additional 100 jobs to the area.
The mill was part of the
acquisition in May 2010 from Grant Forest Products that also included an
operating plant in Allendale County, and another operating plant in
Englehart, Ontario. The acquisition totaled approximately $400
million. Georgia-Pacific spent an additional $30 million to complete
construction on the Clarendon facility in 2011.
"Given
our customers' increased need for OSB, we believe the time is right to begin
the ramp up of production at the Clarendon mill," said Mark Luetters, president
of Georgia-Pacific wood products. "This facility has world-class capabilities
and will ensure our ability to grow with Georgia-Pacific's customers as the
housing market continues its slow recovery. We're looking forward to getting
this plant running, and to working with the people in the Clarendon County
area."
Once
the Clarendon mill is operational, both Clarendon and Allendale, which also
employs about 120 people, will supply customers across the eastern United
States with the versatile building material used in residential
construction.
"Today's
announcement is another big win for one of our state's rural areas," said Gov. Nikki Haley. "We
celebrate Georgia-Pacific's decision to invest in the Palmetto State and create
more than 100 new jobs in Clarendon County. By strengthening our state's
business-friendly climate, we can expect to see more announcements like this
one."
Applications
for more than 100 permanent positions, including management, craft and production
roles at the facility, will be accepted through the company's website at www.gp.com/careers and through One
Stop Workforce at www.slworkforcedev.org
beginning this week.
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