Jackson, Mississippi — Officials from tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel America announce the company is locating operations in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in Forrest County. The project represents a corporate investment of $120 million and will create 230 jobs.
For the project, Sofidel acquired the newly constructed 400,000-square-foot Green Bay Converting (GBC) facility in the Hattiesburg-Forrest County Industrial Park. GBC opted to sell the facility to Sofidel and continue operations in its current Hattiesburg location. Sofidel expects to begin local recruiting immediately in order to ramp up production by December of this year.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Sofidel as the newest member of Mississippi’s business community, and I thank the company for choosing to locate their operations in Hattiesburg and generate new jobs for the residents of Forrest County,” Governor Phil Bryant said. “When companies choose to expand or locate in the state, such as Sofidel, they put Mississippi on the global stage and show companies around the world that we are open for business. I wish Sofidel many successful years in Hattiesburg.”
“A location in Greater Hattiesburg made sense due to quality available real estate being ready for immediate occupancy, the pro-business environment found here, and the skilled workforce available to operate an advanced manufacturing facility. Certainly proximity to our customer base was another key consideration,” said Sofidel America Corp. CEO Tony Curtis.
Mississippi Development Authority provided guidance on available statutory tax incentives for the project.
“MDA salutes the leadership at the city of Hattiesburg, Forrest County and the Area Development Partnership who helped bring Sofidel to Mississippi, creating new career opportunities for Mississippians in the Pine Belt region,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough. “We look forward to the company’s successful growth in Hattiesburg.”
Founded in 1966 in Pocari, Italy, Sofidel is a global leader in the field of sanitary and domestic paper production. Sofidel America was established in 2012 through the acquisition of the Cellynne tissue company, which was founded in 1988 and operated three sites in the USA. Today the company has a significant presence in seven states: Haines City, Florida; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Henderson, Nevada; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Circleville, Ohio; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where their new head office has recently been established. Sofidel America is an integrated tissue paper manufacturer that serves both away-from-home and consumer lines of business.
For more information, visit www.sofidel.it.