International Paper Breaks Ground on New Brandon Facility

International Paper is investing $225 million to build a new plant in Brandon, bringing a major economic boost to Rankin County.

The nearly 500,000-square-foot facility will replace an older site in Richland and focus on making sustainable packaging used for e-commerce and grocery shipping.

Gov. Tate Reeves said the investment reflects confidence in the local workforce.

“When companies that have been here for 50 years will then invest 225 million more dollars to stay in this community, that speaks not only to the quality of the community, it speaks to the quality of their workforce,” Reeves said. “And so you saw all those folks in the back when they announced all the employees. They’re the big reason that we’re here today because they’ve proven to the headquarters that they can get the job done. And that makes me proud.”

Company leaders said they chose the location because it allows them to reach customers within a 300-mile radius.

“We were already in the area, and we wanted to modernize our fleet. So this is a big investment in modernizing our fleet,” said Keith Townsend with International Paper. “And logistically, this is a fantastic location for us. So we’re close to major, obviously, interstates and thoroughfares. So for us, our ability to service our customers, it was a prime location.”

Local partners said the site was specifically chosen and zoned to protect nearby neighborhoods.

Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, said the facility will be connected to the electrical grid with no on-site power source.

“We provide a very clean source of electricity. And this will be served from the grid. There will be no power source here on site. So it will be connected to the electrical grid to serve there,” Fisackerly said. “And this is a manufacturing process. They’re not creating any type of environmental release. They’re more or less constructing corrugated product to be used for shipping.”

The project is expected to create 150 jobs. Construction should be finished by the end of next year.