With International Paper set to shut down its Savannah containerboard mill, a Savannah packaging facility, and a Riceboro operation by the end of next month, Chatham County leaders say they’re moving now to keep hundreds of local families whole.

The closures will affect about 1,100 employees across Coastal Georgia, with roughly “600 to some being directly in Chatham County,” according to Chatham County Commission Chair Chester Ellis. International Paper announced the moves Thursday, saying the changes will cut its annual containerboard capacity by about 1 million tons.

Ellis said he learned of the decision shortly before it was made public and immediately connected with company leadership. “I got a call, and so I immediately called the upper management at International Paper, and we strategized yesterday on how it’s going to affect those 1,100 households,” Ellis said.

His focus: line up lateral moves at comparable wages and preserve benefits where possible. “What we are trying to do now is to match their skills with jobs that will pay them on the same level that they are now,” he said, adding that a pay cut can quickly open a hole in a family budget. As Ellis put it, the mortgage doesn’t go down just because someone’s pay is eliminated or goes down.

Ellis said he spent Thursday and Friday calling other major employers in the region to identify openings, skill matches, and benefit continuity for IP workers. He said county leaders and International Paper will meet again Monday and work “through the time until we get everybody placed,” with the goal of minimizing “negative effects on the citizens of Chatham County.” He said the county is operating on a timeline “until the end of September” to move quickly before the facilities go dark.

State leaders are also mobilizing. House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, called the closures “a devastating blow not only to Georgia’s timber industry but to the economic fabric of the entire Southeast Georgia region.” Burns said the region’s recent growth will be an asset in the transition.

“The Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Labor stand ready to help those impacted by the plant closures with skills training, resources, and education for available employment opportunities,” Burns said. “I, along with each member of our delegation in the House, remain committed to working tirelessly with our state leaders, federal partners, and timber producers to navigate this difficult transition, secure new employment opportunities for the hundreds of citizens impacted by the closures, and safeguard the long-term strength and viability of Georgia’s timber industry.”

Workers can find job listings and unemployment resources at the Georgia Department of Labor:

For now, the county’s near-term push is clear: organize, coordinate, and land affected workers into comparable jobs as fast as possible. As Ellis summed up the effort: “to match their skills with jobs that will pay them on the same level.”