Valdosta, Georgia

The south central town of Valdosta was originally established as the community of Troupville in 1837. In the late 1850s, the residents of Troupville picked up and moved their town in an effort to ensure prosperity after the Gulf and Atlantic Railroad constructed a right-of-way four miles south of their community. The town was renamed Valdosta and was officially incorporated in 1860. Known as “Azalea City” due to the abundance of azalea plants found in town, Valdosta is home to Moody Air Force Base and Georgia College and State University (formerly Georgia State Women’s College).

Valdosta’s fertile lands were fundamental to the town’s growth at the beginning of the 20th century. The agricultural industry thrived and produced crops such as cotton, pecans, peanuts, tobacco and pine timber. Southern Cotton Oil Company was formed and is operated today by Archer Daniels Midland Company. In 1944, Langdale Company, another longstanding Valdosta employer, became the world’s largest naval store producer. Langdale’s founders are credited with having the foresight that the pine tree would become Valdosta’s most important crop. As a result of the area’s developing pine tree market, Valdosta’s paper mills witnessed much success. The Packaging Corporation of America, known as National Container Corporation in earlier times, established a paper mill in Valdosta and maintains facilities there to this day. Valdosta’s prosperous manufacturing and agricultural industries are key forces in the town’s growth over the years and has led the town to become the 11th largest city in Georgia. In 2009, Relocate-America ranked Valdosta as one of the top 100 places to live.

Because of Valdosta’s long-standing manufacturing industry, exposure to asbestos in the workplace has been an issue. Workers in Valdosta who believe they have been exposed to asbestos containing products may be at risk to develop an asbestos disease like mesothelioma.

Jobsites in Valdosta where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

A number of jobsites in Valdosta, GA have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.