Date: Fri 26-Sep-1997
Date: Fri 26-Sep-1997
Publication: Bee
Author: KAAREN
Quick Words:
Georgia-Pacific-stock-offering
Full Text:
Georgia-Pacific Creates New Stock
ATLANTA - Georgia-Pacific Corp., which operates a distribution facility in
Newtown, has approved a plan to separate its timber business into a new
operating group and create a new common stock for it.
If the plan is approved by shareholders, Georgia-Pacific's existing common
stock will reflect only the performance of the company's pulp, paper and
building products businesses. The company will issue a dividend of one share
of the newly created class of timber group common stock for each share of
Georgia-Pacific group stock. The transaction, which is anticipated to be tax
free to both the company and its shareholders, will be submitted to
stockholders for approval at a special meeting in December.
The $2 per share annual dividend currently paid to shareholders is expected to
remain unchanged, with the company paying an annual dividend of $1 per share
on each class of common stock.
The company's new timber group will be the third largest private timberland
owner in North America with 5.8 million acres in the United States and Canada.
It will do business as The Timber Company and will be engaged in the growing
and selling of timber and wood fiber.
Georgia-Pacific also operates 81 pulp and paper manufacturing facilities in
the United States and one in Canada. These businesses, with an operating
capacity of 9.3 million tons annually, generated $32 million in operating
profits in the first six months of 1997, $390 million in 1996 and more than
$1.6 billion in 1995. By contrast, timber group operating profits were $313
million in 1996 and $271 million in 1995.
Georgia-Pacific is the largest manufacturer and distributor of building
products with 153 facilities in the United States and seven in Canada which
together generated $492 million in operating profits for the first six months
of 1997, $516 million in 1996 and $669 million in 1995. Georgia-Pacific's
distribution business is the nation's largest wholesale distributor of
building materials.
