ATLANTA (News release) -- Georgia-Pacific has announced two significant educational investments aimed at strengthening the pipeline of future industry professionals. In Auburn, Alabama, the company donated $10,000 to Auburn University's Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry (TAPPI) student chapter to support students as they prepare for next year's national summit in Birmingham, Alabama. In Sumter, S.C., Georgia-Pacific's Clarendon OSB Facility donated $5,000 to Central Carolina Technical College's (CCTC) Foundation in support of the college's mechatronics program, bringing the facility's total contribution to the program to $15,000.
Auburn's student TAPPI organization focuses on growing and supporting the next generation of highly skilled employees who have a passion and drive for the pulp and paper industry. Founded in 1915, TAPPI develops and supports professionals in the pulp and paper industry with resources such as industry standards, disseminating technical information, and publishing papers to help grow the industry. Auburn University's TAPPI student chapter continues this mission by supporting highly motivated students who are focused on a career in the pulp and paper industry.
Tanner Stogner, a student at Auburn University (AU) and the current president of the AU student chapter, spoke about the importance of working with manufacturers in the industry. Tanner stated, "We are incredibly grateful for Georgia-Pacific's generous $10,000 investment in the Auburn TAPPI Student Chapter and future of the pulp and paper industry. The partnership between our student organization and one of the leading companies in our industry inspires our members to dream bigger and do more. Georgia-Pacific's support will cover travel, lodging, and registration costs for the largest group of Auburn pulp and paper students to ever attend the TAPPI Student Summit in our own backyard: Birmingham, Alabama. This opportunity will empower our members to network with industry professionals and showcase the excellence of Auburn's pulp and paper program. We're also proud that this year's summit is being chaired by our Vice President, Michael Reuss, under the guidance of our advisor, Naomi Gehling."
Along with this donation to the AU TAPPI Student Chapter, Georgia-Pacific donates to events hosted by the Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation, as well as hosts several mock interviews, mill tours, and other engagement opportunities that the students can participate in throughout the year as they look to learn more about a career in the pulp and paper industry.
Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary field that combines mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering to create systems that help facilities run more efficiently and safely. With the world advancing rapidly more every day, workers are now needing a broad range of skills in order to meet today's high demand for skilled laborers. Through initiatives like CCTC's Mechatronics program, students are able to learn skills that will translate directly to high-demand careers in the area.
To emphasize the need for investment in programs like this, Jim Motes, plant manager for Clarendon OSB, stated, "This investment continues to show Georgia-Pacific's commitment to the region and investing in the workforce of tomorrow. Through partnerships like this, we are able to show our support for Central Carolina Technical College, and the work that they are doing to invest in the local student population. We are proud to partner with CCTC, and we look forward to working with them more in the future."
Georgia-Pacific's Clarendon OSB facility manufactures a wide variety of oriented strand board (OSB) products. OSB is an engineered wood product made from compressed, cross-oriented strands of wood that are bonded together with adhesives. Some of the products produced at this facility include Georgia-Pacific's premier OSB products, such as Blue Ribbon OSB Rated Sheathing, Blue Ribbon Stur-I-Floor, and ForceField Sheathing Panels. These OSB products are made from sustainably sourced materials and can be used in a variety of construction projects, including during the construction of private and commercial buildings.
