Georgia-Pacific
A leading manufacturer of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals, Georgia-Pacific boasts 300 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and South America. The company was founded in 1927 as Georgia Hardwood Lumber Company, a lumber wholesaler, in Augusta, Georgia. By the 1940s, this small company was considered the largest supplier of lumber to the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.
The company was founded in an era when asbestos use was commonplace. From the 1930s until the end of the 1970s, asbestos was used as insulation in many Georgia-Pacific chemical plants and may have been found in machine parts used in the company's lumber mills.
Asbestos was considered an excellent insulator, and the material was quite durable and inexpensive, making it a very desirable material for keeping costs down. From 1965 to 1977, the company also manufactured an asbestos-containing compound that was used to hang wallboard.
Paper mills like Georgia Pacific are considered high-risk places to work when it comes to exposure to asbestos. To learn more about paper mills and other companies that are high-risk, get a free informational packet provided by the Mesothelioma Center. Simply fill out this form and have a complementary packet sent to you overnight.
Georgia-Pacific and Asbestos Hazards
In Georgia-Pacific's chemical plants and other facilities, workers face plenty of hazards. Though the company notes they put safety first, accidents do happen, people are injured and some lives are forever changed.
Georgia-Pacific was founded during an era when asbestos use was commonplace. From the 1930s until the end of the 1970s, asbestos was used as insulation in many Georgia-Pacific chemical plants and may have been found in machine parts used in the company's lumber mills. Asbestos was considered an excellent insulator, and the material was quite durable and inexpensive, making it a very desirable material for keeping costs down.
However, as early as the 1930s, doctors began to warn companies that their use of asbestos materials in various asbestos products was inadvisable. It was evident that employees who worked with or around the material were beginning to develop serious lung ailments. Medical professionals said that asbestos was the obvious culprit. Specifically, the inhalation of tiny asbestos fibers during occupational asbestos exposure caused lung scarring and thickening and, in some cases, resulted in the development of cancerous tumors and mesothelioma. Unfortunately, most company executives failed to heed the warnings and continued using asbestos.
Georgia-Pacific and Asbestos Litigation
In 1977, the U.S. government made it clear that asbestos was a carcinogen and passed laws that would halt all new uses of the material. Plants were required to remove damaged asbestos or manage asbestos materials that were once considered safe. At this point, workers dealing with serious pulmonary diseases now recognized the culprit and they were angry and disappointed. The company to which they had dedicated their working lives had betrayed them. Georgia-Pacific began facing many lawsuits filed by employees as well as others who used their asbestos-containing products.
Since December 2003, Georgia-Pacific has faced 269,700 asbestos lawsuits which includes settled, dismissed and pending cases. At that time, with more than 66,000 pending cases, the company decided to increase its defense spending on asbestos claims in response to escalating settlement demands. In 2004, the number of new claims fell 32 percent from the year before as Georgia-Pacific began to take a more aggressive approach to litigation. There was a notable increase in affirmative defense and medical research regarding asbestos illnesses. The overall number of cases taken to trial nearly doubled. These actions resulted in a decrease in the average payments for mesothelioma, cancer and nonmalignant cases in 2004.
Georgia-Pacific continued the aggressive defense in following years and expects the trend to continue for years to come. The company has decided to increase its asbestos defense reserve by $109 million, which amounts to approximately $11 million per year through 2014 before tax benefits.
Early History and Acquisitions
In the late 1940s, the company expanded to the U.S. West Coast and changed its name from Georgia Hardwood Lumber Company to its current moniker, Georgia-Pacific. The headquarters of the company soon moved to the West Coast as well. Numerous acquisitions were made during the 1960s and the company continued to grow, opening resin adhesive, paper converting and tissue plants during that decade. The acquisition of National Polychemicals in 1966 gave the chemical division of the company a boost as well.
Georgia-Pacific continued to grow through the next few decades, and acquisitions continued. In 1990, the company merged with Great Northern Nekoosa Corporation, adding 55 paper mills and paperboard converting plants to the list of its facilities. Ten years later, Georgia-Pacific acquired paper giant Fort James Corporation, maker of Brawny, Quilted Northern and Dixie brand items.
Today, Georgia-Pacific employs 40,000 workers in a variety of different positions, from production line workers to research scientists. The company promotes environmental and social responsibility and encourages ties to the communities in which it operates.
Resources for Chemical Plant Workers
Georgia-Pacific's chemical plants and other facilities exposed thousands of workers to asbestos. Anyone exposed to asbestos may potentially develop asbestosis or mesothelioma cancer. Neither disease develops immediately, and symptoms can take between 20 to 50 years to appear. Suspicious respiratory or pulmonary symptoms should be reported to a doctor immediately, and regular medical check-ups should be scheduled by those who were employed in a Georgia-Pacific chemical plant.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should gather as much information about the disease as possible. Call (800) 615-2270 to speak with a Patient Advocate directly, or fill out the form on this page to request more information. Ask about our Doctor Match Program, which can help you find a mesothelioma expert near you.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
