Canadian paper products maker Irving Tissue plans a $600 million expansion of its factory in Macon, a project that will also create at least 100 jobs, the company and state officials announced Thursday.
The expansion comes on the fifth anniversary of the facility along Allen Road in the Sofkee Industrial Park. The facility currently employs more than 400 people and will grow with new production capacity and a new automated warehouse, according to the release.
Irving’s brands include Royale, Majesta and Scotties. The company also makes private-label paper products. Irving is a subsidiary of Canadian conglomerate J.D. Irving Ltd., which was founded in 1882 and has business in agriculture, construction, forest products, food and shipbuilding.
“Since choosing Macon in 2017, Irving Tissue has invested around $1.5 billion into the community and created 400 well-paying jobs, with another 100 jobs on the way,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in the release. “Irving Tissue is a valued employer for the entire region of Georgia, and we are thankful that they continue to re-invest in our state and Macon-Bibb County. Today’s announcement is just the latest reminder that here in the No. 1 state for business, our relationships with job creators don’t end after pen meets paper.”
Georgia boasts a huge timber industry, responsible for more than 55,000 jobs, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. The state is also a major manufacturing hub for wood and paper products.
The newly created jobs include management positions and those for machinists. Open roles will be advertised on Irving’s website at careers.jdirving.com.
Information about potential incentives for the project was not immediately available, and a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Economic Development said discussions are ongoing.
“Over the last five years, Irving Tissue has demonstrated what it means to become a part of the fabric of the community,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said in the release. “Each expansion builds on the partnerships and collaboration that helped Irving Tissue fulfill its prior commitments to Macon-Bibb County, supported by the state’s business-friendly environment and world class logistics infrastructure that will connect Irving’s Macon facility to markets across the East Coast.”
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