ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996                  TAG: 9605090027
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: 6    EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE:    AUGUSTA, GA. 
SOURCE: Associated Press 

GEORGIA-PACIFIC OPTS FOR EARLY RETIREMENT

Georgia-Pacific Corp. said it will offer early retirement to 1,400 employees as part of a broader effort to cut expenses and improve profits.

The forest products company said it also will lay off some salaried workers this year and in 1997. The Atlanta-based company operates a paper mill at Big Island in Bedford County where it employees roughly 400 people and a distribution center in Roanoke.

The voluntary retirement plan will be available May 20-July 8 to employees 65 and older and for those 55 or older who have at least 10 years of service.

The moves are part of a three-year effort to boost the company's earnings by $400 million by reducing overhead and improving efficiency, said A.D. ``Pete'' Correll, Georgia-Pacific chairman and chief executive officer.

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