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Southeastern Paper Group (SEPG) announced its intention to acquire Garland C. Norris Company, Inc. (GCN), an established regional wholesale distributor of food service disposables and janitorial and cleaning supplies. The transaction is expected to be completed on Dec. 13.

“Garland C. Norris Company provides a unique opportunity for SEPG to extend its position in the wholesale distribution market through an established and trusted business,” says E. Lewis Miller, Jr. CEO of Southeastern Paper Group. “GCN brings deep specialization in the redistribution segment to strengthen our offering, while SEPG's expanding footprint and longstanding vendor partnerships will help deliver value to more customers and drive growth.”

GCN, a wholly-owned subsidiary of S.P. Richards Company, is headquartered in Apex, North Carolina, and is well positioned throughout the Southeast U.S. as a market leader to primarily wholesale distributor customers. GCN offers its almost 400 customers access to more than 3,500 stocked products.

“The sale of GCN represents a step forward in our strategy to optimize our portfolio and strengthen our focus on other growth initiatives in the JanSan market,” says Steve Schultz, executive vice president of S.P. Richards Company. “GCN's rich history in the region make it a great fit with Southeastern.”

Southeastern Paper Group recently teamed up with Ecolab to develop a best-in class cleaning program for Clemson University, focusing on sustainability and operational efficiency goals. Find out more about the project here.