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Sawmill To Reopen In Southwest Arkansas Creating Hundreds Of Jobs

Caddo River Forest Products sawmill Glenwood
Arkansas Business

A ceremony Thursday afternoon will mark the reopening of a sawmill in the southwest Arkansas city of Glenwood.

Caddo River Forest Products announced a year ago it would invest $50 million in the facility, which had been impacted by the economic recession and ultimately closed in 2010.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman and other officials are expected to speak during the 3 p.m. event. The company says 130 jobs will be created at the sawmill, along with 300 indirect jobs.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration provided an $817,726 grant to the city of Glenwood for infrastructure improvements, while the state provided a $339,000 Community Development Block Grant for the facility. The state also provided a cash rebate for new payroll and tax refunds on building materials, machinery and equipment.

The facility was originally built by Georgia Pacific in the 1970s.

Michael Hibblen was a journalist for KUAR News from May 2009 — December 2022. During his final 10 years with the station, he served as News Director. In January 2023, he was hired by Arkansas PBS to become its Senior Producer/ Director of Public Affairs.