Rock-Tenn-MeadWestvaco merger not expected to affect Georgia jobs.

The merger between packaging giants Rock-Tenn Co. and MeadWestvaco Corp. is not expected to cause significant changes to Georgia jobs, according to John Stakel, Senior Vice President and Treasurer at Rock-Tenn.

Norcross-based Rock-Tenn announced on Jan. 26 that it had entered into a definitive combination agreement with Richmond, Va.-based MeadWestvaco to form a $16 billion global provider of consumer and corrugated packaging.

The new company, which will be named prior to closing, will have executive offices in Richmond and operating offices at Rock-Tenn’s current Thrasher Road facility near downtown Norcross.

Although further details of the merger are still being finalized and are pending regulatory approvals, Stakel said Rock-Tenn is not anticipating any plant closings in Georgia or a shuffling of job locations for corporate functions.

“We don’t see any wholesale movement of positions from Richmond to here or from Norcross to Richmond. In this day and age, there’s not a need to move people for the sake of moving people.”

Robin Keegan, Director of Corporate Communications at Rock-Tenn said, “Steve Voorhees will be the new company’s CEO and will continue to work and live in Atlanta.”

Additionally, RTS Packaging LLC, Rock-Tenn’s corrugated partitions division and joint venture with Sonoco will be unaffected by the merger and will continue to operate out of the Norcross home office, according to Stakel.

“It will continue to operate as is and be a majority-owned joint venture of the new company.”

Both companies expect to close the merger in the second calendar quarter of this year.