Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will do all he can to help paper mill workers in North Florida who lost their jobs after Georgia-Pacific closed the operation following Hurricane Idalia.
Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific, which according to Dun & Bradstreet is the fourth-largest paper company in America, announced that it was shuttering its Taylor County factory on Monday.
Florida Republican Rep. Neal Dunn noted that roughly 525 jobs would disappear after the company closed the Foley Cellulose Facility in Perry.
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On Wednesday, DeSantis issued a statement calling on Georgia-Pacific to do right by its employees, and vowed his administration’s help for the displaced workers.
“Upon learning of the Georgia-Pacific mill closure in Taylor County, I directed the Florida Department of Commerce to stand up a local job fair, connecting residents with hiring employers and job training opportunities,” DeSantis posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“I’ll leverage every executive resource I have to facilitate their quick and seamless transition to new, well-paying jobs. This adds to the disaster recovery resources already on the ground,” he added.
“Further,” DeSantis continued, “I am calling on Georgia-Pacific to do what’s right: pay severance and insurance that will bridge the gap and allow these hard working Floridians to get back on their feet — especially after a hurricane.”
“Taylor County is recovering from Hurricane Idalia and we will not leave them behind,” he concluded.
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According to its website, Georgia-Pacific acquired the 69-year-old factory in 2013. The pine trees it processed there are used globally and end up products such as clothing, tires, shampoo, diapers, filters and towels.
The company itself called the Perry operation “one of four world-class wood pulp mills and one cotton linter mill” in its entire company.
In a press release issued Monday, Georgia-Pacific noted, “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.”
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