Downtown Atlanta Marker Highlights Company’s 90-Year History
Atlanta, Ga., September 26, 2017 - The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) today 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
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Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.
Each year the Georgia Historical Society recognizes iconic companies in our state through the Georgia Business History Initiative. By showcasing these companies, GHS seeks to teach Georgia students, citizens, and tourists alike about the pivotal role of Georgia’s leading businesses in the economic, cultural, and social development of Georgia and the United States.Honorees receive a historical marker that tells the story of that company’s contribution to the development of our state and nation. This executive summary of the company history is erected at a site of historical significance to the company and is also available online through the award-winning GHS Historical Marker website and mobile app.
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) administers Georgia’s historical marker program. Over the past 20 years, GHS has erected over 250 new historical markers across the state on a wide variety of subjects. GHS also maintains the more than 2,100 markers installed by the State of Georgia prior to 1998. Online mapping tools allow users to design driving routes based on historical markers, and a mobile app helps visitors locate and learn about markers nearby. Visit georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened.