Evans Products Co built a particle-board plant at Silsbee in 1966, which began operations the following January. The plant was sold to the Kirby Lumber Corporation in 1973. Kirby Lumber planned to demolish most of the complex and rebuild a pollution-free plant on the thirty-three acres. The new plant would would create 100 new jobs with an annual payroll of $1,000,000l, which was a considerable portion of the $9,000,000 paid in east Hardin County every year. Louisiana-Pacific Corp bought Kirby Lumber Company in 1986. A letter to researcher Jonathan Gerland revealed that after Santa Fe sold Kirby Lumber Corporation to Louisiana-Pacific that “all manufacturing facilities at Silsbee (plywood, sawmill, particleboard) were shut down. The plywood and sawmill were scrapped in 1987-1988.” The particleboard plant was started up in 1990 and an OSB plant was built.