Episode 32: Pocket Change Podcast
As more and more businesses, companies, and manufacturing plants enter West Tennessee, you might be wondering how these developments will affect your local community. One of these companies is Dixie, which manufactures household paper products. Join Carrie and Shea and as they ask Dixie’s Plant Director, Mike Cook, what Dixie’s impact will look like for Jackson in the latest episode of the Pocket Change Podcast.
“Being a good partner is being a good partner in the community, being a neighbor to the residents that are near us, but also investing in the community in a way in which we increase the skill level and opportunities for folks to leverage their talents in a special way,” says Mike.
Summary
Dixie is one of Georgia-Pacific's billion-dollar brands, and the Jackson facility is one of their four plants that manufactures primarily paper plates and bowls. Their new facility is projected to open this summer, and they are looking for 220 employees to join their team. As Dixie becomes integrated into West Tennessee, they want to be involved with the local community by supporting small businesses and workforce-minded individuals. They are partnering with the Leaders Education Foundation to provide Workforce Readiness Scholarships for students who are pursuing industry certifications through community colleges or the Tennessee College of Applied Technology.
“First and foremost, we're looking for contribution-minded individuals,” says Mike. “Those are folks who really want to be heard, want to be part of a winning team, have skills and talents and abilities that they are eager to apply in a way that helps them reach their full potential and apply that potential to the efforts that we're making to be the lowest cost producer with the highest quality for our products, for our customers.”
Key Takeaways
- Dixie is a manufacturing plant that makes household paper products.
- They are planning to hire up to 220 employees that value a strong work culture.
- To be environmentally cautious, their paper products are compostable.
- Dixie strives to be a valuable community partner for the residents and small local businesses owners in Jackson.
If you’re interested in applying to a job at Dixie or want to learn more about the company, visit dixiejackson.com.
As you grow in your own employment journey, learn about what scholarship opportunities are available for you through the Leaders Education Foundation.
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Full Transcript
Shea:
Hey, this is Shea.
Carrie:
And this is Carrie.
Shea:
Welcome to the Pocket Change Podcast.
Carrie:
Where you'll learn better ways to spend, save, and invest, and take control of your financial journey.
Shea:
So, Carrie, our region, West Tennessee and Jackson, there's a lot of growth happening, a lot of investment by national brands coming this way. So it's a big time for West Tennessee.
Carrie:
Yes, it is. It's an exciting time for all of us here in Jackson and West Tennessee. And I think the table is set for a great conversation with our guests today.
Shea:
All we need is the plates.
Carrie:
We're excited to welcome our guest, Mike Cook, Plant Director of Dixie. Welcome to Pocket Change, Mike.
Mike Cook:
Thank you for having me today. Excited to be here.
Carrie:
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at Dixie.
Mike Cook:
I am originally from Huntsville, Alabama. I was schooled that this residence in this area, I'm sure you'll hold dear to their heart, is the University of Alabama, where I went to get my bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. From there, I joined Georgia-Pacific organization at a pulp and paper facility about an hour and a half west of the Tuscaloosa area. There, I held several roles; did some project management, did some maintenance supervision and engineering, led some operations to areas related to our wood processing area as well as our finished product converting areas. About six years ago, that particular facility was deemed re-investible. I led a large capital group to retool that facility to give it the technical right to be the lowest cost producer of its products in North America. I was given the opportunity to come to Jackson to build a new facility, but most importantly, build a culture from the ground up, build an organization from the ground up. So packed the kids and the wife in the van, and we moved to Jackson a few years ago.
Carrie:
No small task there.
Mike Cook:
And happy to be here so far.
Carrie:
Awesome.
Shea:
Well, welcome to Jackson and this area, especially welcoming Dixie. So for our listeners that don't know, though, Mike, what products does not only Dixie make, tell us more about Dixie and Georgia-Pacific?
Mike Cook:
So Dixie is one of Georgia-Pacific's billion dollar brands, and Georgia-Pacific primarily makes paper products and wood products. Dixie's primary products are plates and bowls, platters, cutting boards, cutlery, and cups. In this particular facility here in Jackson will be one of four facilities that make primarily plates and bowls. We have a facility in Leominster, Massachusetts that makes our cutlery. Then we have two facilities that combine to make our cups, in Lexington, Kentucky and St. Mary's, in the St. Mary's area in Kentucky as well.
Shea:
We've all probably used Dixie, whether we know it or not, using paper plates and cups and bowls and things. So we'll have it right in our backyard. We can be able to use those products in our everyday lives just like we do.
Carrie:
Yeah, and know that they're made here in Jackson. So speaking of that, why did Georgia-Pacific and Dixie choose Jackson, Tennessee of all places?
Mike Cook:
Well, several reasons for that. Some of the obvious would be the logistical aspects of location of Jackson, and the site that was looked at had easy access to rail as well as I-40 from a highway perspective. There was also a strong workforce here given the manufacturing footprint that is in the area. And then the school system as it relates to TCAT and Jackson State and the county and city school systems were strong. But ultimately, it seems like a very vibrant area, a growing area with a lot of good people. And I like how Mandy White puts it, that we chose each other, right? And we felt good the partner that we were wanting to build a future with.
Carrie:
I love that.
Shea:
We've got a great chamber showcasing Jackson and all that it has to offer. And this region, not only Jackson but West Tennessee, we're growing, and it's just an exciting time to be here. So we're glad that Dixie here in Jackson is a part of that. So for more details about the facility, when is it planned to open and when can we expect that?
Mike Cook:
So the facility will open this summer, which is a short few months away. It's a lot of work to get done, but progress is going well. The building and structure and civil's up, and we're installing process equipment now to get ready for that grand day in the summer and ribbon cutting in the fall.
Shea:
That's great. You can see the logo on the side of the building. It's coming along nicely out there. We're excited.
Mike Cook:
Nice, isn't it?
Shea:
Yeah, it's great.
Carrie:
They'll be here before we know it. That's amazing. So, how many employees do you plan to hire?
Mike Cook:
We'll hire at full capacity. We'll be somewhere in the neighborhood of 220 employees. We'll take a conservative startup approach. As I mentioned earlier, culture and foundation is important to us, so we'll earn the right to scale to that full capacity.
Shea:
What are some of those things that you're looking for to build that culture? What are some things you all are doing surrounding that?
Mike Cook:
First and foremost, we're looking for contribution-minded individuals. Those are folks who really want to be heard, want to be part of a winning team, have skills and talents and abilities that they are eager to apply in a way that helps them reach their full potential and apply that potential to the efforts that we're making to be the lowest cost producer with the highest quality for our products, for our customers. Starting there and then giving them a framework in our principle-based management philosophy to understand how our environment will be and how we want them to leverage those skills gives us an advantage over our competition because it's through our people that we're successful.
Shea:
Yeah, I think definitely that makes sense. Investing in your people is going to ultimately make the difference for you all here and then support your growth and your culture. That's fantastic that you hear a company wanting to do that, and that is going to do that in our area. Speaking of investment, Dixie has made a significant investment Investment and Leaders Education Foundation to support our Workforce Readiness Scholarship program. Tell us why it's important to support workforce development in our region.
Mike Cook:
I think it's important to Georgia-Pacific and Dixie to be a preferred community partner. In order to be a preferred partner there has to be a virtuous cycle of mutual benefit, meaning that we're winning together, we're growing together. One sided relationships don't last very long, right?
Shea:
That's right.
Mike Cook:
Part of us being a good partner is being a good partner in the community, being a neighbor to the residents that are near us, but also investing in the community in a way in which we increase the skill level and opportunities for folks to leverage their talents in a special way. Through this foundation, through our contribution, we believe that this is a good opportunity for us to help advance that as we move into this area and start our relationship with this partnership going forward.
Shea:
We couldn't be more thrilled through our Leaders Education Foundation. It just shows you all's commitment to the workforce in our area. You mentioned it was one of the reasons you all chose this area, but I think having so many groups and organizations investing into that workforce, and not only through the school system, but other ways, too, it's important for our continued growth and how we'll support the workforce going forward. We're excited and grateful for the partnership from Dixie through the Leaders Education Foundation Workforce Readiness Scholarships.
Mike Cook:
Excited to be a part of it and look forward to the future and doing more to, again, become that preferred partner for this community.
Shea:
Yes. Thank you.
Carrie:
Speaking of partnerships, we've seen some of the commercials and billboards of local restaurants featuring Dixie products. Why do you feel it's important to partner with local small business this is in this area?
Mike Cook:
Well, it's about showing some of that local talent, showing that we are recognizing who makes the community go, understanding that small investor and being able to help support them is a way for us to come in and be able to show that we're here to be a fabric of the community going forward.
Shea:
Yeah. So I saw those commercials and those plates hold a lot of slices of pizza.
Mike Cook:
Yeah, unfortunately, I know.
Shea:
You've tried that out, huh?
Mike Cook:
I have.
Carrie:
Speaking of the plates, for those of us who have environmental concerns with paper products, can you tell us how your plates are made?
Mike Cook:
So we can start with the paper process, right? So I know a big concern from an environmental perspective is, "Well, you're cutting down our trees, you're impacting our ecosystems of those forests and whatnot." There are programs in place that as we clear a lot, that there is a replanting program that spaces those trees out in the appropriate way for them to grow back quickly and strong, as well as for the ecosystem to come back into that area and be healthier than where we found it. No part of the tree is wasted in the paper making process. So there are all kinds of byproducts that come off the cooking process that are used in other industries; turpentine, tall oil. You'd be surprised that there's parts of a tree in pepper mint.
Carrie:
Really?
Mike Cook:
There is. So the tree itself is being utilized for all kind of reasons, aside from just the paper making process. So once the paper is made, it's made in a way that our Dixie products are compostable. So we are one of a few, if not only, company that has received residential and commercial certification for its compostability. Meaning that in the event that you were to bury that in your backyard and plant seeds over it, it would actually grow plants there. So a pretty cool step for us and being the first to that table.
Carrie:
It makes me feel better about buying your products, too.
Mike Cook:
Buy as many as you want.
Shea:
Well, it just shows how you all are trying to be good stewards of what you have and what you're developing and not only giving back, but also through your process. So that's so beneficial to our community. And so, if we have listeners interested about learning more about Dixie or even joining or applying for this new facility up and coming, what's the best way to do that?
Mike Cook:
So listeners can go to dixiejackon.com, and it will have all the information about the new facility that we're building here in Jackson, about our principle-based management philosophy, and ways to apply, as well as hear from some of our leaders that we've hired from in our local area about their experience so far with becoming a part of Dixie; a part of Georgia-Pacific, and how they feel about their new environment and the excitement that they have about what big things we're going to do here in Jackson.
Shea:
It's dixiejackon.com. You can find the careers listed there as well. Learn more about the plant and the facility. That's one website we want to mention, dixiejackson.com. But the other one I want to make sure we mention is leadersgives.org/scholarships. That's where other interested students can learn more about our workforce readiness scholarships through Leaders Education Foundation, presented by Dixie. We've got those offered three times a year during the different terms. Leadersgives.org/scholarships, where interested students pursuing a workforce readiness program can learn more.
Mike Cook:
Absolutely.
Carrie:
Okay. So last question for you, Mike. If you were to find some extra pocket change, what would you do with it?
Mike Cook:
So I actually keep a jar that any loose change that I have that I come in the house with, I put it in that jar, and at the end of the year, we take that jar and we count up what we have, and we use that to do some family activity. So probably doesn't sound like a...
Shea:
You just add it to the jar.
Mike Cook:
Probably doesn't sound like a very exciting one, but family is important, and being able to take that money and do something with them is cool.
Carrie:
Absolutely.
Shea:
Plenty to do around here. You can take the family to go and have a good time, go to a ball game or arcade or whatever.
Mike Cook:
Absolutely.
Shea:
That's a great idea.
Carrie:
All right. Well, we thank you so much for being here with us today, Mike.
Mike Cook:
Thank you for having me.
