This post is sponsored by Georgia-Pacific®; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

About a week ago I went on a whole new kind of Florida adventure. I took a tour of the Georgia-Pacific Palatka mill where bath tissue paper is made. Now, it might not sound like my typical adventure, but you know I’m always looking for something new in Florida.

The mill is located in Palatka, Florida. A cute little town about an hour from St. Augustine. Located on the St. Johns River, this area was once a popular tourism hub, especially for northerners looking to escape the cold winters. Steamboats would carry them up and down river and hotels were built to accommodate them. However, a devastating fire in 1884 forced tourists to flock elsewhere.

Fast forward more than 100 years later and it’s an up and coming spot in Florida, with bass fishing tournaments, microbreweries, and jobs. That’s right, Georgia-Pacific employs nearly 1,000 people with 83% of them residing locally. In addition to supplying paper goods to a majority of the United States, one of their primary goals is giving back to the local community.

Education is a huge part of their everyday operations.

With this in mind, Georgia-Pacific aided in the opening of the St. Johns River Center in 2015. The center is ideal for 2nd to 7th graders to teach them about the surrounding wetlands which make Palatka unique. I found it an interesting resource for learning about the local area and Florida’s rich history.

They have also made a 3-year $122,000 commitment to the Putnam County School District to pay for lab equipment for the Advanced Manufacturing Academy available at three local schools. The academy readies students for entry-level manufacturing jobs upon graduation.

Georgia-Pacific’s daily operations enhance the lives of the surrounding communities by providing economic stability as well as jobs throughout the area. Each mill job creates three more in the community.

Fun Facts:

• Georgia-Pacific’s national brands made in Palatka include Angel Soft, Sparkle, Brawny, Quilted Northern and they also make kraft paper (used for pet food bags and sugar bags).

• The Palatka Mill produces 60% of their own power.

• 30,000 cases of Angel Soft a day are produced at the Georgia-Pacific Palatka Mill.

• Georgia-Pacific has 200 facilities (mostly in the U.S.) and employs 35,000 people

• Resources used to make tissue and other paper goods are used completely and efficiently. The bark that is shaved off the trees can be later used for landscaping.