US: Georgia-Pacific has officially opened its new gypsum wallboard plant at Sweetwater in Texas. The project had a budget of US$325m and it is the first new wallboard plant that Georgia-Pacific has built since 2004.
David Neal, president of Georgia-Pacific Gypsum said “The two operations combined will supply customers and distribution partners with more than 92Mm2 of gypsum products each year and create more than 100 new jobs. This investment strengthens Georgia-Pacific's capacity to meet growing customer needs in Texas' residential, commercial, and industrial construction markets.”
The new plant is adjacent to Georgia-Pacific’s first gypsum wallboard facility in Sweetwater, purchased by the company in 1996. The existing facility has been operating in Nolan County since the 1950s. Over the last year, Georgia-Pacific has invested approximately US$16m in technical and safety upgrades at the plant, including an Energy Optimization System (EOS), auto-guided vehicles (AGVs), an automated robotic riser system, auto-splicing equipment, and upgraded packaging equipment. It has also upgraded the employee facilities.
