Lincoln Lumber Plant in Crockett to Close, City Pledges Support for Affected Workers
By Kelly Nicol
Messenger Publisher
CROCKETT – Lincoln Lumber has announced it will close its plant in Crockett, citing ongoing challenges in the wood market and internal company decisions. The move will impact local workers, but city officials say they are already working to help affected employees find new job opportunities.
In a statement released Thursday, the City of Crockett confirmed it had been notified of Lincoln Lumber’s decision to cease operations at the facility.
“The City of Crockett has been notified by Lincoln Lumber of their decision to close operations at their Crockett facility due to challenges they are facing with the wood market and decisions they are making as a company. We appreciate Lincoln Lumber’s partnership over the past several years, and we thank them for the investment they made in our community and the jobs they provided to our residents.
We especially want to acknowledge and thank the employees of Lincoln Lumber for their hard work and dedication throughout the company’s time in Crockett. The City has already reached out to the new businesses the City has recently helped recruit to assist in identifying immediate job opportunities for those affected by the closure. We remain committed to working closely with these businesses to support employment placement and ensure a smooth transition for impacted workers.
Lincoln Lumber is currently in the final year of their incentive and abatement agreements with the City of Crockett and Houston County. In light of their decision to cease operations, the City will be working with the company to recapture any incentives that may be owed under the terms of those agreements.
“We remain committed to supporting our local businesses and workforce. The City will continue working proactively to ensure economic stability and growth for our community,” Crockett City Manager John Angerstein said in a statement.
Lincoln Lumber also expressed gratitude to the Crockett community and its leaders, stating the decision to close was not made lightly.
“Lincoln Lumber would like to thank the City of Crockett and all its great residents for the support we have received while operating in the area. Unfortunately, due to persistent operational and market specific challenges, we have made the difficult decision to idle our operations in Crockett. We want to thank every employee for their dedication during their time as a member of the Lincoln team. Additionally, we would like to specifically thank the City Manager John Angerstein, County Judge Jim Lovell and the commissioner’s court for all of their support during our due diligence, startup and operational phases. They have been incredible to work with, and always very supportive of our initiatives. We strive to be a good neighbor in the locations we operate and hope we have demonstrated that to the people of Crockett,” according to a press release from Lincoln Lumber.
The plant closure marks a significant shift for the city of Crockett, where Lincoln Lumber had been a notable employer. City officials said Lincoln Lumber is in the final year of its incentive and abatement agreements, and the city will work with the company to recover any owed incentives as part of the closure process.
In the meantime, the city has begun coordinating with recently recruited businesses to help displaced workers transition to new employment opportunities.
