ATLANTA --  Georgia-Pacific is investing $65 million to upgrade its Madison, GA plywood operations.

The upgrades include $26 million for veneer dryers that are expected to increase drying capacity by 35 percent. The company will also replace the site’s mill wood yard at an approximate cost of $19 million. Additionally the company plans to invest about $20 million to upgrade other equipment, including lathes and an expansion of the glue line and pressing operations.

The upgrades to the Madison facility will allow Georgia-Pacific to meet growing consumer demands and put the mill in “the top tier of plywood operations across the country," says Andy Konieczka, vice president and general manager for Georgia-Pacific's plywood business.

The company is also evaluating the potential restart of an idled plywood mill either in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida or North Carolina. The restart will be determined by market conditions, access to wood supply, an engineering analysis for required permitting, installation of equipment and facility upgrades, the company said.

Georgia‑Pacific has 13 plywood facilities across the United States, two of which are located in Madison and Warm Springs, GA. The company employs approximately 6,200 people directly in the state of Georgia, with approximately 450 people at the Madison mill.