Telfair Forest Products to Locate New Manufacturing Facility in Lumber City

ATLANTA, November 5, 2008 – Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Telfair Forest Products plans to locate in Lumber City, creating 45 jobs and investing $5.75 million. 'Forestry has always been a key economic driver in Georgia, and I am pleased that yet another company will locate here and take advantage of our national reputation as a leader in this great industry,' said Governor Perdue. 'With the investment made Telfair Forest Products, more opportunities will open for Georgians and an idle industrial area will see new life.'

Telfair Forest Products has purchased a 50-acre tract in Lumber City, which is in Telfair County, that was formerly a home to the lumber industry for more than seven decades. Approximately 50,000 square feet of production facilities will produce and bag three million bales of wood shavings annually. Production is expected to begin this month and will reach full capacity in the first quarter of 2009. 'Georgia's ample natural resources continue to be a draw for companies with innovative ideas like Telfair Forest Products,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 'Our strong workforce and extensive transportation network help companies deliver high quality products to their customers at competitive prices.'

The company plans to convert southern yellow pine trees into a premium-grade wood shavings product to be used as horse bedding. It is sourcing smaller pine trees harvested in thinning operations from area landowners, providing a new market in addition to traditional pulp markets. Southern yellow pine is the ideal tree to produce wood shavings since it contains enzymes that prevent bacterial growth. 'Telfair County is a natural fit for our business, with its great workforce and abundance of southern yellow pine plantations,' said Charles Knight, managing partner for Telfair Forest Products. 'We are looking forward to starting production and providing a quality horse bedding product for our customers.'

'Telfair Forest Products locating in Lumber City is very positive for our community,' said Herman Moore, chairman of the Development Authority of Telfair County. 'I know they will be a great corporate citizen and I'm grateful for the cooperation between city, county and state to bring them here.' Ryan Waldrep, project manager for GDEcD, assisted the company in its location. About the company Telfair Forest Products, LLC, was founded in June 2006 to serve the market for southern pine products. Its use of southern yellow pines for wood shavings provides an absorbent product that helps prevent the spread of disease. For more information, contact the company at 1-877-363-0709.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.