Irving Tissue announces $600 million Macon factory expansion

Irving Tissue will invest $600 million into its Macon factory, company leaders announced Thursday.

Irving’s investment will fund a new automated warehouse and additional equipment, creating 100 jobs, according to the announcement.

Irving Tissue leadership and employees, local leaders and members of the state economic development commission gathered inside the Macon factory to celebrate the factory’s fifth year and the expansion.

“Down here, running a business, you feel welcome,” Irving Tissue President Robert Irving said. “They understand the importance of jobs, what it means to the community, and we understand how important it is to give back to the community.”

Irving said their product has been sold out, and the heightened demand pushed them to increase their capacity. 

Tissues are produced, broken down into rolls, wrapped, labeled and stored at the facility off Sofkee Industrial Park in south Macon.

With the upgrades, the factory will increase its output by 15 million cases, a 50% increase. 

The new automated warehouse is scheduled to go up in fall 2026, and the new ThruAir Dry paper making machine will go online in 2027.

“Irving has been more than just a business in Macon — they’ve been a true member of our team,” Macon Mayor Lester Miller said. “They have a deep commitment to our community and its people, and their decision to expand here speaks volumes about the strong foundation they’ve built.”

Pat Wilson, commissioner of the state department of economic development, helped get the factory up and running in 2017, “providing solutions in speed to market.”

He said the Irving Tissue factory was earmarked as a “project of regional significance,” given the company has already invested roughly $870 million.

The new jobs will increase spending and pump money into the local economy, Wilson said. 

“Manufacturing is coming back to the South and coming back to the United States, and Middle Georgia in particular is able to benefit from that,” he said. “We’ve seen growth in a number of counties around Macon.”

Irving Tissue is the “model” for other companies looking to move into manufacturing in Macon, said Robby Fountain, chairman of the Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority.

The company touted its partnerships with local business leaders with a congratulatory video that played during the ceremony.

“Irving Paper is such a great example of a company that comes in and becomes part of the fabric of that community, giving back,” Wilson said.