SOUTH CAROLINA (From news reports) -- Georgia-Pacific is idling two rural South Carolina facilities that employ 240 workers, blaming sluggish conditions in the U.S. home-building industry.
The Atlanta-based company said it will continue production at its sites in McCormick and Allendale counties for up to 60 days.
Afterward, both facilities will be idled and "maintained in a ready state to begin production should the long-range forecast for market conditions change," Georgia-Pacific said in a written statement Tuesday.
All employees will be let go once production ends, except for crews needed to manage inventory and maintain the properties. All displaced workers will be eligible to collect unemployment benefits.
"Although new-home construction demand has returned somewhat since the recession in 2007/2008, it has not returned to pre-recession levels," said Satrick Anthony, Georgia-Pacific vice president for building products operations.
He added that the workers at both locations "have done everything they can to make the sites profitable -- but unfortunately, it has not been enough to overcome the current market conditions."
The McCormick facility began churning out lumber in 1966 and has been owned by Georgia-Pacific for 31 years. It has 98 full-time employees.
