This story will be updated as information becomes available.
International Paper, a longtime pillar of Coastal Georgia’s economy, announced Thursday that it will permanently close its Savannah and Riceboro plants by the end of September and cut some 1,100 hourly and salaried jobs.
The closures of the company’s containerboard and packaging facilities in Savannah and its containerboard mill and timber and lumber operation in Riceboro are part of “actions to enhance its ability to serve and grow with customers while improving its manufacturing footprint,” the firm said in a news release.
While eliminating its operations in Savannah and Riceboro, the firm said it will invest $250 million for renovations at its Riverdale mill in Selma, Alabama, to produce container board and sell its global cellulose…