Working Forests
Nurturing Economic Growth in Atlanta and Beyond
Fall 2023
By John Casey
|
It’s unlikely that Atlanta residents will ever spot bunchers or skidders driving down Peachtree Road, but that doesn’t mean that the forestry industry is not prevalent within the city limits. As the top state in the nation for forestry, Georgia’s urban metropolitan areas are teeming with forestry jobs — just maybe not the kind you are used to seeing.
While skyscrapers and city lights dominate Atlanta’s cityscape, the economic impact of forestry quietly weaves its way into its urban fabric. The city is home to several mills, manufacturing facilities for forest products, freight centers and the headquarters of multiple forest products companies listed in the Fortune 500. According to a 2021 study led by the Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia Institute for Technology, the region encompassed by the Atlanta Regional Commission is responsible for more than 12,500 jobs with over $1.1 billion in wages and benefits. That’s nearly a quarter of the forestry jobs in the state, and accounts for over $6.6 billion in economic impact.In fact, it’s the top region for forestry jobs and economic impact in the state, dwarfing the other 11 regions.Standing tall in the city’s skyline, Georgia-Pacific’s headquarters in downtown Atlanta hold a lion’s share of the regional jobs, employing approximately 3,000 people in the region. “Our headquarters in Atlanta and our manufacturing operations in urban areas across the state provide for thousands of good, safe and well-paying jobs,” said John Mulcahy, vice president of stewardship at Georgia-Pacific. “We provide people with the income and safe working conditions necessary to be a vibrant part of their communities, including in our home city of Atlanta.” Georgia-Pacific employs another nearly 2,000 administrative and manufacturing employees across its facilities in other urban metro areas across Georgia, including Savannah, Augusta, Brunswick and Rome. In total, the company directly employs more than 7,600 in the state. Georgia-Pacific has also created an estimated 23,000 additional indirect jobs — many of which are in urban metropolitan areas — as a result of its operations. |
|
“We want more managed, sustainable forests right here in Georgia that provide more products and more housing in metro Atlanta. We want people in metro Atlanta to understand that by using these products, they’re supporting rural economies and the ecosystem services that those forests provide.”
— Tiffanie Starr, Managing Director of Acquisitions,Timberland Resource Company
Urban Forestry Businesses Are Key Economic Drivers
Forestry companies provide a plethora of high-skilled job opportunities in these urban areas, attracting researchers, engineers, administrators and other skilled forestry professionals who then invest in local services, education, housing and leisure activities, strengthening the urban fabric and creating a resilient cycle of prosperity. The influx of talent and the financial contributions from these businesses create economic growth that resonates throughout their communities far beyond the forest floor — including job creation, local commerce and regional economic resilience.
In the same 2021 study, urban and community forestry — defined as a separate industry from forestry, encompass-ing jobs in nursery and tree production, landscaping services, conservation program administration, and urban planning development — accounted for an additional more than 52,000 direct and indirect jobs in the metro Atlanta region.
While perceptions of the forestry industry have been progressively improving in part thanks to ongoing educational initiatives that underscore its sustainability, a persistent challenge remains in educating the public on the economic potential the industry offers to urban communities in what is generally considered a rural industry, according to Tiffanie Starr, managing director of acquisitions at Timberland Resource Company.
“The industry has gone a long way in improving how we communicate and educate people on the sustainability of forestry, but it’s important that people understand its economic impact, including what jobs are available in the industry,” said Starr. “All of us chant loudly that Georgia is the number-one forestry state in the nation, but we need to do more to educate people who live here about what that means for them personally.”
Forestry Connects Urban, Rural Communities
At first glance, urban and rural communities of Georgia may appear to be worlds apart, but the forestry industry bridges the gap. Direct and indirect employment opportunities account for more than 140,000 jobs in the state, including machinery operators in the forests, truckers on the roads, administrators in downtown offices, caretakers in city parks and many other opportunities within along list of forestry-related professions.
The symbiotic relationship between the urban and rural forestry industries is most evident in the ways in which urban centers like Atlanta provide essential support to their rural counterparts while reaping the benefits of a thriving forestry industry.
“From the paper we write on to the lumber that holds up our houses, people are affected by and have a positive view of the forest products they use every day, sometimes not even realizing they are forestry products. Sometimes, consumers need a reminder of where those products come from and that they are sustainable products,” said Starr. “We want more managed, sustainable forests right here in Georgia that provide more products and more housing in metro Atlanta. We want people in metro Atlanta to understand that by using these products, they’re supporting rural economies and the ecosystem services that those forests provide."
Forest products permeate every facet of urban life with their inherent versatility and timeless appeal, serving as the structural backbone of our infrastructure and an enduring element shaping the urban landscape. One can look around an office space and find wood products in the walls, the furniture, the paper, the pencils, the packages in the mailroom and even in the bathroom on the toilet paper roll, just to name a few. By producing many of these products in manufacturing facilities close to where they will be purchased and used, companies are able to significantly reduce the risk and cost of production, incentivizing the industry to invest in urban areas, according to Emily Ham, manager of state government relations at International Paper.
“It’s an amazing story that we have, not just in Georgia but in other states where our manufacturing footprint is huge.We locate our mills rurally, close and concentrated around raw forest supply, because transportation is expensive and strenuous. We want to touch things as few times as possible to recognize those savings and not move goods any further than we have to. For that same reason, any sort of converting plant —box plant, folding carton, printing and what not — you want to be close to your customers,” said Ham. “There is a lot of manufacturing in Georgia. You want to be close to where your customers are, and that’s often in a lot of metro areas. In our case in Georgia, primarily Atlanta, Columbus and Savannah.”
International Paper employs 2,700 people in the state of Georgia over 17 facilities, seven of which are packaging plants within the metropolitan footprints of Atlanta, Columbus and Savannah. Those packaging plants, or converted paper-product manufacturing facilities, create an additional three indirect jobs per direct job, according to a 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute.
Having these manufacturing facilities nearby to customers doesn’t just help getting the product to them quicker, easier and more cost-effectively — it also helps do the same when getting those products back after use to be recycled and reused as a part of the state’s sustainable forestry ecosystem.
“The metro urban areas of our state play a very important role in the circularity of the industry. These areas are where a lot of the recovered fiber is generated.We want to keep all of these high-quality recycled paper products, whether it was used as copy paper or food packaging, in the stream so we can recycle them,” said Ham. “Georgia is a big state for recycled paper manufacturing, in many cases 100% recycled.”
A Solution for Growing Demand
There is an impending need for increased production of forestry products. Georgia’s rapid population growth, especially in its metropolitan regions, has ignited a surge in the demand for wood products. Experts estimate that Atlanta will grow by 3 to 4 million people by 2060, and the need for infrastructure and household products will grow accordingly. The state’s forestry industry provides a local, low-cost, sustainable solution.
“The South, and Atlanta in particular, is continuing to urbanize. That generates a need for additional housing, for which the primary building material is wood. That wood is sourced from right here in the state, directly providing the lumber and plywood used to construct the homes, office buildings and stores that are going to accommodate the continued growth of these metro areas,” said Mulcahy. “And that timber is being harvested and managed in a sustainable way, being regrown at a rate of nearly 50% more than harvested. Our forests are actually growing faster than our forestry.”
As urban centers expand to accommodate an influx of residents, construction and infrastructure projects escalate, driving increased need for timber and wood-based materials. The expansion also boosts the need for wood-derived household consumer products like tissue paper, packaging and biodegradable utensils. In addition, the use of nano-cellulose and lignin will continue to grow and evolve to replace traditionally carbon intensive products, from consumer plastic packaging to electric car batteries. This heightened demand underscores the pivotal role that wood products play in shaping the evolving landscape of the state’s urban areas.
“Both urban and rural communities play such an important part in the forestry industry. From those working in the forests to those working at Georgia-Pacific manufacturing facilities to those here in our headquarters office inAtlanta, everyone plays a critical role,” said Mulcahy. “Forest products are crucial to the economy and development of our whole state, both urban and rural, and we are fortunate to have so many of those products produced right here in our state by hardworking Georgians in both urban and rural communities.”■
Forestry companies provide a plethora of high-skilled job opportunities in these urban areas, attracting researchers, engineers, administrators and other skilled forestry professionals who then invest in local services, education, housing and leisure activities, strengthening the urban fabric and creating a resilient cycle of prosperity. The influx of talent and the financial contributions from these businesses create economic growth that resonates throughout their communities far beyond the forest floor — including job creation, local commerce and regional economic resilience.
In the same 2021 study, urban and community forestry — defined as a separate industry from forestry, encompass-ing jobs in nursery and tree production, landscaping services, conservation program administration, and urban planning development — accounted for an additional more than 52,000 direct and indirect jobs in the metro Atlanta region.
While perceptions of the forestry industry have been progressively improving in part thanks to ongoing educational initiatives that underscore its sustainability, a persistent challenge remains in educating the public on the economic potential the industry offers to urban communities in what is generally considered a rural industry, according to Tiffanie Starr, managing director of acquisitions at Timberland Resource Company.
“The industry has gone a long way in improving how we communicate and educate people on the sustainability of forestry, but it’s important that people understand its economic impact, including what jobs are available in the industry,” said Starr. “All of us chant loudly that Georgia is the number-one forestry state in the nation, but we need to do more to educate people who live here about what that means for them personally.”
Forestry Connects Urban, Rural Communities
At first glance, urban and rural communities of Georgia may appear to be worlds apart, but the forestry industry bridges the gap. Direct and indirect employment opportunities account for more than 140,000 jobs in the state, including machinery operators in the forests, truckers on the roads, administrators in downtown offices, caretakers in city parks and many other opportunities within along list of forestry-related professions.
The symbiotic relationship between the urban and rural forestry industries is most evident in the ways in which urban centers like Atlanta provide essential support to their rural counterparts while reaping the benefits of a thriving forestry industry.
“From the paper we write on to the lumber that holds up our houses, people are affected by and have a positive view of the forest products they use every day, sometimes not even realizing they are forestry products. Sometimes, consumers need a reminder of where those products come from and that they are sustainable products,” said Starr. “We want more managed, sustainable forests right here in Georgia that provide more products and more housing in metro Atlanta. We want people in metro Atlanta to understand that by using these products, they’re supporting rural economies and the ecosystem services that those forests provide."
Forest products permeate every facet of urban life with their inherent versatility and timeless appeal, serving as the structural backbone of our infrastructure and an enduring element shaping the urban landscape. One can look around an office space and find wood products in the walls, the furniture, the paper, the pencils, the packages in the mailroom and even in the bathroom on the toilet paper roll, just to name a few. By producing many of these products in manufacturing facilities close to where they will be purchased and used, companies are able to significantly reduce the risk and cost of production, incentivizing the industry to invest in urban areas, according to Emily Ham, manager of state government relations at International Paper.
“It’s an amazing story that we have, not just in Georgia but in other states where our manufacturing footprint is huge.We locate our mills rurally, close and concentrated around raw forest supply, because transportation is expensive and strenuous. We want to touch things as few times as possible to recognize those savings and not move goods any further than we have to. For that same reason, any sort of converting plant —box plant, folding carton, printing and what not — you want to be close to your customers,” said Ham. “There is a lot of manufacturing in Georgia. You want to be close to where your customers are, and that’s often in a lot of metro areas. In our case in Georgia, primarily Atlanta, Columbus and Savannah.”
International Paper employs 2,700 people in the state of Georgia over 17 facilities, seven of which are packaging plants within the metropolitan footprints of Atlanta, Columbus and Savannah. Those packaging plants, or converted paper-product manufacturing facilities, create an additional three indirect jobs per direct job, according to a 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute.
Having these manufacturing facilities nearby to customers doesn’t just help getting the product to them quicker, easier and more cost-effectively — it also helps do the same when getting those products back after use to be recycled and reused as a part of the state’s sustainable forestry ecosystem.
“The metro urban areas of our state play a very important role in the circularity of the industry. These areas are where a lot of the recovered fiber is generated.We want to keep all of these high-quality recycled paper products, whether it was used as copy paper or food packaging, in the stream so we can recycle them,” said Ham. “Georgia is a big state for recycled paper manufacturing, in many cases 100% recycled.”
A Solution for Growing Demand
There is an impending need for increased production of forestry products. Georgia’s rapid population growth, especially in its metropolitan regions, has ignited a surge in the demand for wood products. Experts estimate that Atlanta will grow by 3 to 4 million people by 2060, and the need for infrastructure and household products will grow accordingly. The state’s forestry industry provides a local, low-cost, sustainable solution.
“The South, and Atlanta in particular, is continuing to urbanize. That generates a need for additional housing, for which the primary building material is wood. That wood is sourced from right here in the state, directly providing the lumber and plywood used to construct the homes, office buildings and stores that are going to accommodate the continued growth of these metro areas,” said Mulcahy. “And that timber is being harvested and managed in a sustainable way, being regrown at a rate of nearly 50% more than harvested. Our forests are actually growing faster than our forestry.”
As urban centers expand to accommodate an influx of residents, construction and infrastructure projects escalate, driving increased need for timber and wood-based materials. The expansion also boosts the need for wood-derived household consumer products like tissue paper, packaging and biodegradable utensils. In addition, the use of nano-cellulose and lignin will continue to grow and evolve to replace traditionally carbon intensive products, from consumer plastic packaging to electric car batteries. This heightened demand underscores the pivotal role that wood products play in shaping the evolving landscape of the state’s urban areas.
“Both urban and rural communities play such an important part in the forestry industry. From those working in the forests to those working at Georgia-Pacific manufacturing facilities to those here in our headquarters office inAtlanta, everyone plays a critical role,” said Mulcahy. “Forest products are crucial to the economy and development of our whole state, both urban and rural, and we are fortunate to have so many of those products produced right here in our state by hardworking Georgians in both urban and rural communities.”■
John Casey is a strategic communications consultant with a primary focus on journalism, politics and public policy
|
Georgia Forestry Magazine is published by HL Strategy, an integrated marketing and communications firm focused on our nation's biggest challenges and opportunities. Learn more at hlstrategy.com
|
|
|