Hood Industries Wiggins mill (Photo from company)
- The closure of the plywood manufacturing operation in Wiggins is expected to wind down by the end of August.
Hood Industries told employees this week that they are winding down operations at the company’s Wiggins mill after assessing the impact of Tropical Storm Arthur and the fiscal realities of operating the 56-year-old facility.
“After a thorough assessment, we determined that the damage caused by the recent storms, combined with the age of our 56-year-old facility, would require an investment that is not economically feasible,” Hood Industries president Jay Galloway said. “As difficult as this decision is, repairing and restoring the mill is not a sustainable option. We have made the decision to close the mill.”
The closure of the plywood manufacturing operation in Wiggins will impact over 250 employees. Operations are expected to wind down by the end of August.
The Wiggins facility has been in operation since 1970 and was acquired by Hood Industries in 1984.
Company management is meeting with affected employees over the coming days to share other employment opportunities with Hood Industries at their other sites.
The statement from the company on the Wiggins closure is shown below.
Hood Industries operates at three other sites in Mississippi, in Beaumont, Waynesboro, and Silver Creek.
In September 2025, the company announced their plans to invest $245 million to construct a new advanced sawmill in Wayne County in multiple phases on a site adjacent to the company’s existing sawmill. The new mill is slated for completion by October 2026.
