Starved Rock Wood Products in Mendota to close manufacturing facilities, affecting 77 workers

Starved Rock Wood Products announced the upcoming closure of its wood products manufacturing facilities in Mendota.

The decision to exit the wood products business and close the company comes after months of a thorough financial review by industry consultants to determine if the company could continue to operate given the challenging market in which it was competing, said Michelle Christ, president of Starved Rock Wood Products.

The announcement will affect 77 workers at the Mendota locations including remote staff. Christ said the final day of business is set for some time in June 2025.

“(Tuesday) morning, company leaders met with employees to share this difficult news,” Christ said in a news release. “We thanked them for doing their best to help SRWP succeed and asked them to stay with us during the wind down process as we fulfill our remaining orders.

“We were all very proud of the quality wood products employees created here, but, like many USA companies in recent years we have been facing tough headwinds: increasing pressure from lower-cost competition, reduced construction volume, higher interest rates and increased imports from Asia.”

Starved Rock Wood Products was founded in 1994. It has been an employer in Mendota all of those years, Christ said.

“We sincerely thank the people of Mendota for all their support over the years,” Christ said. “The community has been an integral part of our journey, and we are grateful for the partnerships and friendships we have built along the way.”