What we know about Georgia Pacific's plan to close its Day Street paper mill in Green Bay

Georgia-Pacific's mill at 500 Day St. in Green Bay, Wis.·Green Bay Press-Gazette
Jeff Bollier and Karl Ebert, Green Bay Press-Gazette
3 min read
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GREEN BAY - Georgia Pacific announced late Wednesday that it will close its 121-year-old Day Street mill in Green Bay, moving production of toilet paper, napkins and other paper products to other locations owned by the company.

The move will eliminate nearly 200 mill jobs, although the company said many of the mill's employees will be able to find work at other Georgia Pacific operations in the Green Bay area.

Here's what we know about the mill's shutdown.

What's the timeline for closing the mill?

The company plans to end production at the mill in phases over the next 18 months, beginning with toilet paper in May. Other operations will end in September and the shutdown of napkin production in fall 2023 will mark the end of mill operations at the site.

Why is the mill closing?

The company cited older, less competitive machinery at the mill, additional production capacity at other locations and changing consumer demand as reasons for the shutdown.

RELATED: How Georgia-Pacific's prior investments in Green Bay cleared the way for $500 million Broadway Mill expansion

How many workers are affected and what happens to them?

According to the company, about 190 people will be affected. Georgia Pacific said many of those employees will be able to find work at the company's Broadway Mill, where the company is investing $500 million in plant upgrades and expansion.

Georgia-Pacific employs about 2,300 people between the two mills and other operations in the Green Bay area.

Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich on Wednesday night tweeted his support for the mill employees, members of the United Steel Workers union, who will be affected by the closure. He called the announcement "the end of an era" for employees and the community.

Who owns the mill?

Georgia Pacific is a subsidiary of Koch Industries, a family-owned, international manufacturing company based in Wichita, Kansas. Koch Industries has owned Georgia-Pacific since 2005.

The mill was started by seven Wisconsin men who pooled $70,000 to build the plant. It began operation as the Northern Tissue Paper Mill on March 29, 1901.

In its first year, the mill employed 25 people and shipped 800 tons of toilet paper. The tissue took its name from the company, Quilted Northern, a brand which continues to be sold today.

By 1920, the company was the largest producer of toilet paper in the world. The mill helped Green Bay earn the title “Toilet Paper Capital of the World.”

Georgia-Pacific bought the Day Street Mill in 2000 as part of its acquisition of Fort James Corp., which had owned the Northern Tissue operation since 1982.

What will happen to the building?

Georgia-Pacific thus far has not said anything about the future of the property at 500 Day St.

The mill sits on 44 acres in an industrial area at the confluence of the Fox and East rivers north of downtown Green Bay.

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Georgia Pacific's Green Bay paper mill closing. What we know.

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