Governor John Bel Edwards announced on August 6 that Interfor Corporation plans on reviving the idled Georgia Pacific Sawmill located near DeQuincy. 

“On behalf of the State of Louisiana, I encourage and welcome Interfor’s investment near DeQuincy,” said Gov. Edwards. “Louisiana’s lumber industry is one of our most profitable agricultural exports, and the market for lumber is red hot right now. Interfor brings industry leadership and know-how to this project, and I am excited to say this new investment will create hundreds of new direct and indirect jobs to Louisiana."

The key takeaway from the announcement is that Interfor plans to invest up to $8 million to revive the plant, and the revival will bring direct and indirect jobs.The project will create 170 new direct jobs with an average salary of $62,000 per year plus benefits.

Jobs can be applied for at interfor.com/careers. Those who previously worked at the Georgia Pacific Plant are encouraged to apply and have added incentives available as part of Interfor's DeQuincy Restart Plan. 

According to Interfor, incentives for former DeQuincy Georgia Pacific Employees include:

• Prior years of service will be honored when determining time off
• Immediate eligibility for most benefits
• A $500 welcome bonus on their first payment

Louisiana Economic Development estimates that 505 indirect jobs will be created by the project. President and CEO of Louisiana Economic Development Alliance George Swift spoke about the impact that restarting the mill will have on Southwest Louisiana.

“The restart of the lumber mill at DeQuincy by Interfor is a huge economic win for southwest Louisiana,” said Swift. “Interfor purchased the shuttered lumber mill from Georgia Pacific, and is investing millions of dollars in preparation of restarting the mill. This investment would create an estimated 45 construction jobs. When the mill is fully operational, Interfor plans to employ 170 permanent workers in quality jobs. We welcome Interfor to southwest Louisiana and thank them for reopening the lumber mill in DeQuincy.”  

Bruce Luxmoore, Interfor’s Senior Vice President of Southern Operations expressed his gratitude at the support that Interfor has received from the community and state of Louisiana. 

“We greatly appreciate all the support in getting this mill back up and running,” said Luxmoore. “The warm reception, collaborative approach and valuable incentives package have reaffirmed our decision to invest in Louisiana.”

Interfor acquired the DeQuincy mill in May 2020 after it was idled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

Beauregard Parish Police Jury President Mike Harper stated his optimism toward the project and the positive impact he believes it will have on the community.

“Beauregard Parish and southwest Louisiana have always welcomed economic development projects big and small,” said Harper. “This is a big one, and is very exciting for an area that can benefit from a project of this scale once again."

This article originally appeared on Leesville Daily Leader: Key takeaways from Edwards Georgia Pacific Announcement