The Georgia Historical Society recognized Georgia-Pacific with a Georgia historical marker as the latest honoree of the Georgia Business History Initiative.

Each year, the GHS initiative recognizes iconic companies in the state to teach Georgia students, citizens and tourists alike about the pivotal role of the state’s leading businesses in the economic, cultural and social development of Georgia and the United States.

“Georgia-Pacific is one of our state's oldest companies and its products are recognized for their quality all over the world. So it is only fitting that the Georgia Historical Society should help tell the story of this remarkable company on its 90th birthday,” said Dr. W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society. “Georgia-Pacific is a great corporate citizen and I want to thank them for all they do for the people of Georgia and for their participation in this special initiative.”

The historical marker was unveiled today at a ceremony outside the Georgia-Pacific Center, the company’s downtown Atlanta headquarters location for the last 35 years.

“We’re honored and humbled to be recognized by the Georgia Historical Society with this marker – it’s a significant gesture to share in the history of this great state,” said Christian Fischer, president and CEO of Georgia-Pacific. “Today we celebrate the culmination of hard work and resilience by the thousands of hardworking employees over nearly a century.”

In Addition to Groce and Fischer, other speakers for the dedication included Past President and CEO Jim Hannan, and Past Chairman and CEO A.D. “Pete” Correll, Curley Dossman, President of the Georgia-Pacific Foundation; and Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell.

The historical marker tells the story of a company’s contribution to the development of the state and nation and is erected at a site of historical significance to the company.

The Historical Marker reads:

Georgia-Pacific
 
Owen R. Cheatham founded the Georgia Hardwood Lumber Company in Augusta, GA, in 1927.  By 1938, the company operated five lumberyards in the South. To broaden its product line, the company purchased its first Pacific Coast facility—a plywood plant—in 1947. In 1948, the company was renamed Georgia-Pacific Plywood and Lumber Company and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1949. Its first operation outside North America began in the Philippines in 1963.Georgia-Pacific Center, the company’s corporate headquarters, was built in 1982 on the site of Loew’s Grand Theatre, where Gone with the Wind premiered in 1939. At its 90th anniversary in 2017, Georgia-Pacific was one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer products, building products, packaging, and pulp with tens of thousands of employees across the globe, including 7,500 in Georgia.
 
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia-Pacific