Georgia-Pacific will build a $135 million softwood lumber production facility, on property adjacent to its existing lumber mill, in Warren County, Georgia.

Construction of the 340,000-square foot technologically advanced plant is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2018 with an anticipated startup in spring 2019. Georgia-Pacific's existing lumber plant in Warren County will continue full operations until the new facility is completed.

After startup of the new plant, Georgia-Pacific said it estimates hiring an additional 30 to 40 employees, bringing its workforce in Warren County to approximately 150 people.

"We have enough property next to our existing mill in Warren County to build a larger facility equipped with the latest in lumber manufacturing technology," said Fritz Mason, Vice President & General Manager, Georgia-Pacific Lumber. "We have a great team at Warrenton and building a new state-of-the-art facility on this site will make it competitive for years to come. The team has earned it."

According to company officials, the new facility will be capable of over three times the output of the current facility. The existing facility has been operating since the early 1970s and technology in the lumber production business has changed significantly since that time.

Once in production, the new facility will receive approximately 185 truckloads of pine logs a day and produce approximately 350 million board-feet of lumber per year.

Georgia-Pacific employs more than 7,200 people at 18 locations in Georgia. Since 2006 the company said it has invested approximately $1.9 billion in additional capital and acquisitions in Georgia.

"Georgia-Pacific has found an abundance of success in Georgia, and this new softwood lumber production facility in Warren County allows them to continue to tap into the wealth of resources in Warrenton," said Governor Nathan Deal. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with this leading company as they not only drive innovation in this sector, but in the state."

Mason added, "We choose to reinvest in Warrenton and Warren County due largely to our current talented employee base and the incredible reception we received from county and economic development officials."

O.B. McCorkle, Executive Director of the Development Authority of Warren County said, "We are extremely proud that Warren County continues to be the choice for commerce in Georgia. We have a great relationship with Georgia-Pacific at the current lumber facility and we look forward to having this technologically advanced facility in our county.”