Florida’s elected officials continue to criticize Georgia-Pacific for closing its Foley Cellulose Facility in Taylor County.
Two weeks after Perry was hit hard by Hurricane Idalia, Georgia-Pacific offered its reasons for closing the factory and laying off more than 500 employees.
“Various factors influenced this difficult decision. Ultimately, GP does not believe that the mill can competitively serve its customers in the long term despite the significant investments and commitment by GP Cellulose since the site was acquired in 2013. This is a strategic decision that was made prior to Hurricane Idalia and is not a reflection of the hard work and effort of the Foley team,” Georgia-Pacific announced. “All the approximately 525 jobs at the mill will be impacted by this closure. Production will continue for a limited time as the site works to fulfill as many customer commitments as possible. The mill plans a safe and orderly shutdown.
“Georgia-Pacific’s focus in the coming weeks and months is to continue to safely operate while supporting our employees during the transition,” the company added. “Georgia-Pacific thanks its employees at Foley for their hard work and commitment and will work with them to provide access to local support agencies and job placement resources, including available opportunities within Georgia-Pacific or other Koch companies.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson weighed in on the decision this week.
“Today, I spoke with top executives at Georgia-Pacific to discuss the devastating decision to close the Foley Cellulose Facility in Taylor County. While there is never a good time to lose a major employer, particularly in a rural county, this news could not come at a worse time for families devastated by Hurricane Idalia,” Simpson said. “The decision is final and cannot be reversed. We were not informed in advance, but I can confirm that there were no state laws, regulations, or economic conditions within state control that contributed to the shutdown. According to their leadership, the macroeconomic conditions resulted in another business casualty.
“While Georgia-Pacific cannot make the numbers work for their corporation, they are willing sellers. As a state leader, I would welcome another investor or company to come in and take over operations. There are many economic incentives available, and Florida has an excellent climate for business. I challenge anyone to find harder working people than those in Taylor and surrounding counties,” Simpson continued. “To Georgia-Pacific, I have asked that they do all they can to assist with finding jobs for the hundreds that are displaced. This will not only impact the direct employees, but the many industries that are a part of the complex network supporting the operation such as loggers, truckers, and other essential workers.
“I would ask that Georgia-Pacific look for ways to go above and beyond on severance pay and insurance assistance. The people of Taylor and surrounding counties are hurting and need a glidepath,” he said in conclusion.
U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., also spoke to Georgia-Pacific officials and wasn’t happy with how the call went.
“Today’s call with the head of cellulose operations at Georgia-Pacific was extremely unhelpful. His callous and vague responses left me wondering ‘But what about the families?’” said Dunn. “The devastating hurricane already impacted their lives. The last thing they need is Scrooge viciously taking away their jobs and benefits before Christmas.
“Here’s a list of demands I made to Georgia-Pacific based on community feedback: extend health benefits, pay, and severance for at least six months; organize food banks for at least six months;
provide paid leave for employees to access job fairs; provide and pay for access to job training resources; donate the building to the county after the closure.
“All of these things are completely reasonable given the circumstances. Florida Senator Corey Simon and Florida Representative Jason Shoaf are working with me to ensure that our constituents are cared for, just as we did in the days following Hurricane Idalia. Make no mistake, moving forward, my eyes will be on Koch Industries and Georgia-Pacific to guarantee that they actively support their employees in Florida’s Second Congressional District,” Dunn said.
