DARLINGTON, S.C. (WBTW) — Georgia Pacific invested more than $175 million to Dixie in Darlington, according to Darlington Dixie plant manager Demetrius Wright.
Wright said the site has been expanded to produce more plates and bowls.
The ribbon cutting for the completion of the expansion was conducted Wednesday. The community gathered as well as elected officials on the state, city, and county levels.
Wright said the plant has roughly 500 employees and is a big part of the economy in Darlington.
“We are the largest company in the city limits of Darlington by far,” he said. “In order for us to be successful, we have to be in partnership with the community. The Dixie plant has been around since 1938 and this investment solidified our place in Darlington for the next 30 years.”Wright said in 2021 the Darlington Dixie plant stopped making cups and transferred that department to Lexington, Kentucky. That is when the Darlington Dixie plant began its expansion on plates and bowls.
Darlington Mayor Curtis Boyd said the investment keeps 500 families working.
“In turn, the investment helps the county, the school district, and the city of Darlington grow,” Boyd said. “The investment also gave an additional tax revenue for the city, the county, and the school district. Over the course of 30 years, the city will have received approximately $15 million.”
Boyd said the expansion will also help nearby restaurants and stores remain in business.
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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.
