Rayonier Inc. has finished a massive expansion to its mill in Jesup, Ga. The $385 million cellulose specialties expansion added 190,000 metric tons of additional production capacity to the mill.
Rayonier’s cellulose specialties fibers are used in everyday products such as flat-panel televisions, computer screens, impact-resistant plastics, filters, tires, paint, food and pharmaceuticals.
The expansion encompassed 29 major individual projects, including several projects undertaken to enhance environmental systems.
A recently-completed economic impact study compiled by Georgia Tech researchers concluded that Rayonier’s Jesup Mill has an annual economic impact of nearly $1 billion in Southeast Georgia. Each year, the company contributes more than $10 million to Georgia’s tax base, while paying more than $117 million to Georgia vendors who provide the Jesup Mill with a variety of goods and services.
Rayonier employs more than 940 Georgians and the company is the largest employer in Wayne County. Timber purchased by the mill also supports approximately 1 million acres of working forests in the Southeast United States. According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, the impact of the forestry industry to Georgia’s economy is estimated at $25 billion annually and creates more than 118,000 jobs.
From Jacksonville Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/10/31/rayonier-completes-385-million-mill.html