A crowd gathered at the Chamber of Commerce office Thursday to hear officials from Coastal Forest Products speak at the Butler County Manufacturers Meeting.

Tracy Smith, vice president and general manager of Coastal Forest Products said the company wanted to come to show its thanks to the county. He said mill is running well thanks in part to good job pool and Alabama Industrial Development Training. AIDT helped train new hires for the lumber company.

“Butler County has a fantastic workforce, but there are a few things we do different here, a few new machines, that did require some training from AIDT,” Smith said. “AIDT is really an asset for those looking to locate or expand in Alabama.”

Smith said since Coastal acquired the property last August, they have started up operations on both the plywood mill and lumber mill.

“We now employ somewhere north of 280 jobs,” Smith said.

Ricky McLaney with the Butler County Commission for Economic Development said Butler County is fortunate to have these jobs.

“Not only do we have nearly 300 jobs coming from the mill itself, but there is also a ripple effect that comes from businesses like this,” McLaney said.

Suppliers of timber tools, McLaney said, would be one example of a business that benefits from a lumber mill locating in the area.