Wiggins Mill Closes, Community Steps In | Jackson News

Tropical Storm Arthur wrecked Hood Industries’ Wiggins, Mississippi plywood mill—forcing its permanent closure by August’s end and leaving 250 workers jobless. After 56 years as a town pillar, the mill’s shuttering stings deeply, especially for longtime employees like Joseph Fairley (25 years) and Lew Douglas Schuit (13). But Wiggins isn’t sitting idle: within a week of the news, locals launched a rapid-response effort, including a two-day job fair on August 14–15 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston campus. Beyond jobs, the community’s rallying cry includes mental health support, food aid, and other services to cushion the blow. While the company offers limited transition help and plans to expand elsewhere in Mississippi, it’s the resilient spirit of Wiggins that’s turning grief into action—one job, one family, one neighbor at a time. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/500827bbd37f2aa6