Fort James Paper Plant, Washington

The Camas Paper Mill dominates the Columbia River town of Camas. It has been downsized over the years, and now primarily makes paper towels. For years it was one of ten plants in the United States operated by the Fort James Corporation in the manufacture of paper tissues, including toilet paper. Fort James, the company formed by the 1997 merger of the James River and Fort Howard corporations was acquired in 2000 by Georgia-Pacific.The Georgia-Pacific Company is often ranked as the second largest paper producer in the US. It is based in Atlanta, and has been owned by Koch Industries since 2005. GP started out as a lumber company, and it still is. It moved into paper production by opening a massive pulp and paper mill in Toledo, Oregon in the 1950s, then expanding further by acquisitions. Its purchase of the Fort James Corporation moved it deeper into toilet paper and paper towel production, including the widely distributed Quilted Northern and Brawny brands, as well as the Dixie brand of paper plates and cups. GP has more than a dozen sizable mills around the country, making containerboard as well as tissue, chemicals, cellulose, and building materials.