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Georgia-Pacific notified employees that it intends to permanently close its box plant in Mt. Olive, Illinois, by December 31, according to Lauren Campen, senior manager of public affairs and communications for corrugated board. The company said it is working to support the 134 affected employees by offering potential opportunities within Georgia-Pacific or other Koch-owned companies, and by connecting them with job fairs and external employment resources. Hourly workers are represented by the United Steelworkers union.
The decision to close the facility was driven by a decline in orders and a market-based assessment that determined the plant could no longer competitively serve customers. Georgia-Pacific has already started collaborating with customers to ensure continuity of service. The company emphasized that this decision “is not a reflection of the employees’ work” but rather the competitiveness of the location. The plant will continue operating for the next 60 days, and Georgia-Pacific will decide the future use of the site after departure. The closure marks the company’s exit from full operations in Illinois, although it will continue to use warehouse space in the state and maintains several facilities in neighboring Wisconsin.
In 2025, Georgia-Pacific also announced closures of other facilities, including a containerboard mill in Georgia and a leadership transition.
