Georgia-Pacific
Owen Robertson Cheatham established the Georgia Hardwood Lumber Co. on the 22nd of September 1927 in Augusta, Georgia. He purchased a wholesale hardwood lumber yard to launch this new venture. The company faced immediate challenges when the Great Depression struck just two years after its incorporation. By 1934, slow market demand had reduced the workforce to only five employees. This period of struggle forced the firm to adapt quickly or face closure. Over time, the business expanded by adding sawmills and plywood plants to its operations. In 1947, the company acquired its first facility on the West Coast. They changed their name to Georgia-Pacific Plywood & Lumber Company in 1948 to reflect this broader scope.
The corporation officially became Georgia-Pacific Corporation in 1956. Robert B. Pamplin took over as president that same year and led the firm for two decades. Under his direction, the company entered the pulp and paper business in 1957. They built a kraft pulp and linerboard mill at Toledo, Oregon which remained their only self-built mill in that sector. A series of major acquisitions followed throughout the late twentieth century. Union Lumber from Boise Cascade joined the fold in 1973. US Plywood was added in 1988 while American Forest Products Corporation arrived in 1988. Great Northern Nekoosa came aboard in 1990. The Fort James Corporation merged with them in 2000 after combining several other enterprises including Crown-Zellerbach. These moves transformed a regional lumber yard into a global industrial giant.
News broke on the 13th of November 2005 regarding an acquisition by Koch Industries. The deal finalized on the 23rd of December 2005 when Koch paid $21 billion to purchase the company. Shareholders surrendered their shares for approximately $48 per share during this transaction. Georgia-Pacific was removed from the New York Stock Exchange where it had traded under the symbol GP. This massive purchase ended its status as an independent public entity. It became an independently operated subsidiary of Koch Industries immediately following the closing date. The Atlanta headquarters remains housed within the Georgia-Pacific Tower today.
A legal maneuver known as the Texas Two-Step occurred in November 2017. This process divided assets and liabilities into two separate entities. Bestwall emerged as the new subsidiary housing all asbestos liabilities. The company relocated to North Carolina before declaring bankruptcy there. Over 64,000 personal injury claims were paused during these proceedings. A labor strike took place at facilities in Taylorsville, Mississippi lasting two weeks in 2018. In 2025, the company acquired Anchor Packaging out of Northeast Arkansas. These actions reshaped the corporate structure while managing complex legal obligations.
Angel Soft and Quilted Northern serve as toilet paper and facial tissue brands. Blue Ribbon, Clutter Cutter, DensArmor Plus, and DensDeck function as building and remodeling products. Sparkle and Brawny operate as paper towel brands for consumers. Vanity Fair stands as a premium napkin brand available on store shelves. Dixie Insulair, PerfecTouch, and Ultra comprise tableware offerings. Advantage, Image Plus, and Spectrum are office paper brands sold nationwide. Discontinued items include Soft n' Gentle toilet paper and Zee napkins. Angel Soft and Sparkle occupy value-priced segments while Quilted Northern and Brawny target premium markets.
Stephen Engelberg reported that Georgia-Pacific persuaded the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to approve an amendment in 1995. This action derailed a pending Environmental Protection Agency investigation into Weyerhaeuser Company and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation. The firm argued that current standards unfairly applied to decisions made decades ago. Two primary remediation sites involve cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls at the Fox River in Wisconsin and Kalamazoo River in Michigan. An agreement reached in 2007 required $21 million worth of environmental work on the Plainwell Impoundment Area. Another settlement demanded $15 million for the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site. A documentary film titled Company Town released in 2016 alleged cancer clusters near the Crossett, Arkansas mill due to improper waste disposal.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Georgia-Pacific founded and by whom?
Owen Robertson Cheatham established the company on the 22nd of September 1927 in Augusta, Georgia. He purchased a wholesale hardwood lumber yard to launch this new venture.
Who acquired Georgia-Pacific in 2005 and for how much money?
Koch Industries finalized the acquisition of Georgia-Pacific on the 23rd of December 2005 when Koch paid $21 billion to purchase the company. Shareholders surrendered their shares for approximately $48 per share during this transaction.
What brands does Georgia-Pacific own today?
Angel Soft and Quilted Northern serve as toilet paper and facial tissue brands while Sparkle and Brawny operate as paper towel brands for consumers. Blue Ribbon, Clutter Cutter, DensArmor Plus, and DensDeck function as building and remodeling products.
Why did Georgia-Pacific file for bankruptcy in November 2017?
A legal maneuver known as the Texas Two-Step occurred in November 2017 which divided assets and liabilities into two separate entities. Bestwall emerged as the new subsidiary housing all asbestos liabilities before the company declared bankruptcy there.
Where are the primary environmental remediation sites for Georgia-Pacific located?
Two primary remediation sites involve cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls at the Fox River in Wisconsin and Kalamazoo River in Michigan. An agreement reached in 2007 required $21 million worth of environmental work on the Plainwell Impoundment Area.