RICHMOND, Virginia – It was announced this week that the Shandong Tranlin Paper Co., Ltd., a Chinese pulp and paper company, will invest $2 billion over five years to establish its first U.S. advanced manufacturing operation in Chesterfield County, Virginia, according to Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

According to a report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper, the governor said the new facility could create 2,000 jobs by the year 2020.

In a news release, Shandong Tranlin Paper Co. said that the company will use its proprietary technology to produce tree-free, non-chlorine bleached, 100% straw paper products made exclusively from organic agricultural field waste such as wheat straw and corn stalks. Tranlin said the facility will push the frontiers of organic agriculture in the U.S. by converting the residuals from its paper manufacturing process, known as black liquor, into humus-based organic fertilizer that will be supplied to farmers and home owners throughout the U.S.

“An investment of this magnitude, with the creation of 2,000 new jobs by 2020, represents the largest Chinese greenfield economic development project in the United States, and shows how Virginia is leading the way in attracting innovative businesses to the commonwealth," McAuliffe said in a statement. "Advanced manufacturing jobs are the heart of a strong and growing 21st century economy, and this investment symbolizes the economic recovery taking place across the nation, and will be transformational for the economy of Chesterfield County and the surrounding region."