ORANGE, Texas — It's been three months since International Paper in Orange closed its doors and Orange County officials say many workers are still out of work.
Orange County Judge John Gothia told 12News some workers have found work through job fairs put on by the county and workforce solutions.
Neighbors who live near the International Paper plant say they miss the trains and the people coming and going through the plant's gate for work.
One former employee tells 12News that the closing was unexpected.
"All of a sudden we hear they're closing, it was a big shock," said Wesley Lewis, a former wood yard operator at the plant.
Three months after production at International Paper stopped, the building is now an empty shell.
"They just announced it to the management and the managers came and announced it to all the people," Lewis said.
Lewis spent 31 years at the plant, working his way up the ranks to become a wood yard operator. He says the company gave him and it's over 500 employees severance packages and two months to find new jobs.
Luckily for Lewis, he had a backup plan.
"I was really wanting to retire and it worked out good for me turning 65 in November," he said.
Judge Gothia says they were given a week to try and get the plant to stay.
"We started chasing down the state getting all the pieces to put together a package to keep them here. When they said 'this is our decision' then immediately we transitioned to what do we do for those employees those families," he said.
He says the county and Workforce Solutions hosted two jobs fairs to help those who were laid off find a new job.
"Several of them have gotten jobs at the new Golden Triangle Polymers plant," Judge Gothia said.
Little Cypress-Mauriceville Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Stacey Brister says the closure also impacts district's taxes.
"They were a large cooperation, a multi-million dollar cooperation that is taxable income the district will not receive," Brister said.
While Lewis is ready to retire, he feels for his co-workers who will have to start over.
"There was quite a few close to my age they couldn't' retire. It's hard for them to get a job somewhere," he said.
Judge Gothia tells 12News there are some people interested in the facility and he hopes it won't stay closed for long.