Georgia-Pacific coming to Shippensburg? – Mooney & Associates

Georgia-Pacific, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of paper products, such as Angel Soft, Brawny, Sparkle, and Dixie, is considering two locations for a regional distribution center in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The plans were presented last night before the Shippensburg School Board. As a member of the School Board, I sat through the presentation and will be asked to vote on a LERTA, a property tax incentive program.

Georgia-Pacific presented two different locations in the Shippensburg area that it is considering for its project. The first location sits in Cumberland County off the Walnut Bottom Road at the Prologis Business Park. The location is across the road and near the current Beistle Company. The second location is in Franklin County off the Olde Scotland Road across the road from the north-bound exit ramp of Exit 24 off interstate 81. That location would be close to the new Procter & Gamble that is expected to be up and running by September. George-Pacific is expected to choose a location sometime in June 2014. The School Board is expected to take up a decision on granting a LERTA at its next Board meeting on June 16.

Once the location is chosen, the project would likely get moving in development fairly quickly. Georgia-Pacific indicated last night that the project anticipated completion date was July 2015. The distribution center is expected to employ between 50 and 60 full time jobs. Those jobs would be filled on a third party contract, meaning employees would not be employed by Georgia-Pacific. Those jobs are expected to be typical warehouse jobs, including fork lift operators, shipping and receiving job, and labor type positions. Anticipated wages would be between $14.00 and $23.00 per hour.

The fact that Georgia-Pacific is strong on Shippensburg is a clear indication of the popularity of the Shippensburg area and its I-81 access for manufacturing and warehousing type facilities. Prior to Procter & Gamble, Shippensburg was already home to the North American headquarter of Volvo Construction Equipment, Schreiber Foods, JLG, US Express Trucking, and the Beistle Company. Proctor & Gamble and Georgia-Pacific will add an estimated 1000-1100 jobs to the Shippensburg area.

The continued development along Olde Scotland Road will no doubt increase truck traffic and likely lead to road improvements in the I-81 Interchange area. They will certainly add to the property tax base, but also bring new people to the area and potentially further press class sizes in Shippensburg schools.

In terms of workers compensation, these types of jobs lead to an array of work-related injuries. Typically, in warehouse facilities, we see injuries related to lifting, repetitive type injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and fork lift accident injuries. Hopefully, at the end of the day, both facilities preach and practice work place safety and abide by OSHA and other safety standards.

With the increased population and growth in Shippensburg, Mooney & Associates opened a Shippensburg office two years ago. Our office is located at 34 West King Street across from Pague & Fegan. We are located in a building along with Bell Insurance. Our firm handles personal injury, including workers compensation, social security disability, and motor vehicle accidents, as well as general practice, including criminal defense, family law, real estate settlements, and estate planning and administration. The office is an appointment only office. Our attorneys will meet you in Shippensburg at any time by appointment. Additionally, the Shippensburg office has evening hours every Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. All are welcome.