Plans for a $90 million specialty sawmill that would feature nearly 100 permanent jobs in St. Helena Parish have disappeared after the police jury took issue with the project and one of its developers died of COVID-19.
Under a firm named Florida Parishes Forest Products LLC, developers planned in early 2020 to build a sawmill near Greensburg off La. 10. Records showed the project was poised to bring 95 full-time jobs plus up to 120 temporary ones. But Florida Parishes Forest Products co-developer Lindsey McMorris said plans to place the project in Greensburg stalled last summer after the police jury declined to support the venture. For several months thereafter the developers sought other locations, McMorris said, and soon found two sites to consider. Then Hagan became ill with COVID-19 early in 2021.
When his partner died from the virus in February, McMorris gave up the project.
