More than 100 elected officials and stakeholders welcomed Gov. Tate Reeves to Grenada for the official ribbon cutting for one of the state’s oldest lumber industries.
Last Tuesday, at the ribbon cutting ceremony held at the Regions Center, Gov. Reeves said Grenada County is “open for business” following the expansion of Hankins Lumber.
Hankins Lumber has added a new sawmill operation — Hankins Timbers — to its existing business enterprise. The project is a $12.5 million corporate investment and will create 43 jobs.
“The Hankins family is a great asset to this neck of the woods,” Gov. Reeves said. “Economic development and jobs are my No. 1 priority and it is a team sport. Hankins Lumber is the true definition of a Mississippi success story.”
In November 2020, Hankins Lumber officials announced that they were expanding its presence in Grenada County by locating Hankins Timbers at the former Louisiana Pacific site.
Hankins Lumber has been in operation in Grenada County for nearly 50 years. The company, which produces Southern Yellow Pine lumber products, employs 140 workers at its current facility. Hankins Timbers will use first and second pine thinning as opposed to mature logs. The facility will produce approximately 40 million board feet per year.
Founded in 1950 by Burton Hankins and his brother, Bewel, Hankins Lumber Co., Inc., has branched out from its roots as a small trucking company to deliver lumber from local mills to construction customers and lumber yards.
Bewel Hankins died 50 years ago and Burton Hankins died 20 years ago, but today’s owners and operators said they are looking down on them today with a smile.
The Grenada County-based family business now employs nearly 150 workers and manufactures more than 150 million feet of lumber annually. The company also manages southern yellow pine tree farms scattered across the state of Mississippi.
“Hankins Lumber Co., Inc., is excited to be expanding in Grenada County and adding new jobs in the region,” Hankins Lumber President Albert B. Hankins Jr. said. “We are grateful for the support of our local and state officials. This mill allows us to diversify our product line and enter new markets.”
Greater Grenada Partnership President Matthew Harrison said there were several individuals that made the expansion instrumental.
“These quality jobs and this significant capital investment by Hankins Lumber will enhance the economy of Grenada,” he said. “We are proud to support a project that will measurably move the economic needle in our region. A lot of folks came together to make this happen.”
The Delta Regional Authority and Grenada County have also assisted with the project, which is expected to bring an average salary of $51,000.
“This is an exciting and welcome expansion, and I am proud that our community continues to be a destination for new, good-paying jobs and a place where companies want to do business,” Michael Lott, President of the Grenada County Board of Supervisors said.
