Impact of Holcim closing looms large

Clarksville is the type of town where there are few strangers.
Everybody tends to know everybody, and those who don’t often are linked through church, business and school activities or mutual friends.
That’s why the decision by Holcim Inc. to permanently close its cement plant along Highway 79 is so devastating.
As the Courier-Post first reported Tuesday, Holcim is shutting down the Clarksville facility early next year because of an economic downturn in the cement industry.
Not only will 181 jobs be lost, but many residents and business owners fear the ripple effect.
“It’s going to cripple this community,” predicted Bob Hutsell, a cook at Castle’s Country Store. “It will almost shut down Clarksville and Louisiana. It’s going to hurt every business.”
“I’m concerned,” said Theresa Palmer, owner of The Corner Cafe. “This is how I make my living. With the way the economy is to begin with and all these families that will be without jobs, it’s terrible.”
“It’s going to really hurt,” said Daniel Church, who has family members at Holcim. “A lot of people will have to move to try to find another job.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” said resident Connie Rest. “I didn’t think the flood would come back, either. Here we go again.”
Taxing bodies throughout Pike County stand to lose almost $550,000 in revenue.
Taking the biggest hit by far will be the Clopton school district, which will see income drop by about $412,000.
Road and bridge districts will see a decrease of more than $30,000. The county itself will see a drop of almost $27,000.
Others affected will be the Pike County Health Department, $23,466; Pike County Memorial Hospital, $20,648; Pike County Agency for Developmental Disabilities, $18,677; and the BONCL elementary school district, $6,000.
Because of the timing of Holcim’s announcement, tax districts have about a year until the full force of the decreases are felt.
Suppliers and contractors also will feel the pinch.
Transwood Inc., just a stone’s throw from the Holcim plant, hauls cement for the company. Ten of its 13 workers are drivers, and all will lost their jobs when Holcim closes.
The only silver lining is that the drivers, who have anywhere from three months to more than 30 years of service with Transwood, likely will be able to find other jobs.
“There’s always a demand for good drivers,” said Bruce Kendall, Transwood terminal manager. “I’ve got some good, professional drivers here with clean records.”
Once Holcim notifies the state of its plans, the Department of Economic Development can send in its rapid response team to offer workers information about employment services.
“We’re certainly compassionate to their needs and that makes us all the more honored to provide services to help get them back on their feet,” said spokesman Mike Waltman.
Several Clarksville residents said that while the impact will be significant, the community will survive.
One reason for the glimmer of hope is that the town of just under 500 people draws thousands of tourists each year, and many businesses cater to them.
Mike Greenwell has run a hand-crafted furniture store for almost two decades, and has survived floods and economic misfortunes.
“I can’t say I won’t be affected, but it won’t be devastating to me,” Greenwell said. “I don’t think it will have an impact on the tourists coming to Clarksville.”
Ray Goss operates a business from his home and moved to Clarksville from Michigan, where he saw similar plant closings in the auto industry.
He’s confident that Clarksville will be OK. After all, the community is almost 200 years old.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Goss said. “There are a lot of wonderful people in this area and the people are this area’s best resource, not one company. This is a special little community.”