‘Brawny’ Georgia-Pacific muscles way to ‘Shipper of Choice’ honor

Georgia-Pacific – a leading manufacturer of tissues, packaging, pulp and building materials – knows how to treat its truckers right. The producer of Brawny paper towels placed 19th among 25 winning companies in FreightWaves’ Shipper of Choice Awards, conducted in partnership with freight brokerage Convoy.

The first-of-its kind awards were given based on the votes of carrier members of the Truckload Carriers Association and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance, or BiTA, and are meant to recognize shippers for their practices towards their truckers, and to call out those committed to eliminating inefficiencies from the supply chain.

Decisions on the winners hinged on a variety of factors, including providing driver-friendly facilities, flexibility, efficiency and reduced wait times at docks. The voting was managed by Katz, Sapper & Miller to ensure a credible and independent process.

“The Shipper of Choice Award is all about increasing transparency as we highlight innovative best practices that keep freight moving and contribute to a healthy freight community,” said Craig Fuller, chief executive officer of FreightWaves.

For an enormous company like Georgia-Pacific with locations spanning the entire country, strong trucker relations are essential. The company has over 30,000 global employees, over 180 locations worldwide, and U.S. locations in 32 states.

Its largest presence is in Georgia (it is headquartered in Atlanta) and Texas. It has 15 facilities in Georgia employing 7,150 people; capital investments and acquisitions in Georgia have totaled $1.6 billion since 2013. In Texas, it has 12 facilities with 2,250 employees, with $228 million invested in the state since 2013.

The predecessor of Georgia-Pacific – Georgia Hardwood Lumber Company, a sawmill operator and lumber wholesaler – was founded in Augusta, Georgia in 1927. It expanded into the Pacific states and was renamed Georgia-Pacific Plywood and Lumber Company in 1948, listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange the following year, diversified from lumber into the tissue business in 1963, and acquired Ft. James Corp in 2000 (which owned the Brawny, Quilted Northern and Dixie brands).

Georgia-Pacific topped $20 billion in sales in 2003 and two years later, it was taken private via an acquisition by Koch Industries.