Exhibit 99.1



   Rock-Tenn Company Announces Closure of Marshville Folding Carton Facility

     NORCROSS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2005--Rock-Tenn Company (NYSE: RKT)
announced today its decision to close its Marshville, North Carolina, folding
carton plant in the second quarter of fiscal 2006. Rock-Tenn will transfer the
majority of the Marshville facility's current production to its Marion and
McDowell plants, which are also located in North Carolina.
     Mike Kiepura, Executive Vice President - Folding Carton division, stated,
"As a result of the Gulf States acquisition, we are currently operating three
folding carton plants that manufacture high value adding - packaging in a small
geographic area. Consolidating operations in Marion and McDowell will enable the
company to best service its diverse customer base and optimize its network of
manufacturing facilities."
     Of the $4.6 million in total closing costs expected to be inccured,
Rock-Tenn Company expects to incur cash operating and restructuring costs of
approximately $1.7 million, which will include severance and relocation costs.
     The Marshville closure is expected to generate approximately $2 million of
annualized synergies that will contribute to the $20 million of synergies that
Rock-Tenn expects to realize following its acquisition of Gulf States'
paperboard and packaging businesses.
     Rock-Tenn Company provides a wide range of marketing and packaging
solutions to consumer products companies at low costs, with combined pro forma
net sales of $2.1 billion and operating locations in the United States, Canada,
Mexico and Chile. The Company is one of North America's leading manufacturers of
packaging products, merchandising displays and bleached and recycled paperboard.
     Statements herein regarding, among others, expectations regarding the
transfer of current production from the closed facility; the impact of the
facility closure on the operations of other Company facilities and on customer
service; restructuring costs, including cash expenditures and the timing of such
expenditures and charges; operating costs and synergies constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws.
Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. With respect to these statements, the Company has made assumptions
regarding, among other things, the amounts of asset impairment, severance costs,
relocation costs, business interruption and employee training costs and other
costs associated with the closure as well as capacity utilization and production
efficiencies. The forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks
including, among others, that the foregoing assumptions will prove to be
inaccurate. Such risks are more particularly described in the Company's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the caption
"Business -- Forward-Looking Information and Risk Factors" in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. Management
believes its estimates are reasonable; however, undue reliance should not be
placed on such estimates, which are based on current expectations. The
information contained herein speaks as of the date hereof and the Company does
not undertake any obligation to update such information as future events unfold.


     CONTACT: Rock-Tenn Company, Norcross
              David Rees, 678-291-7552