07/20/2026
As President & CEO of JD & Billy Hines Trucking, I am deeply saddened to hear of the closure of Hope Baking. The loss of approximately 250 jobs is a significant blow to our community and to the families who have dedicated themselves to that facility.
While we can’t replace what’s been lost, we can help create new opportunities. Our team will be at the workforce assistance and hiring event on July 28 at Hempstead Hall and will be actively meeting with those looking for their next career.
If you’ve been impacted by this closure, we encourage you to stop by and speak with us. We value hardworking people and would be honored to discuss opportunities to join the JD & Billy Hines Trucking family.
Our prayers are with every employee, every family, and the entire Hope community during this difficult time. Together, we’ll get through this.
- Hannah Raelyn Hines
Hope Baking is closing July 25, and about 250 workers are losing their jobs.
In a letter sent to employees Saturday night, the company said it spent months trying to save the plant but "we were ultimately unable to secure the financing and resources necessary to continue operating this facility."
Workers were told to return keys, badges, uniforms and equipment within two business days of their last day.
The shutdown comes just two and a half years after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders stood at the Hope plant to announce a $37 million expansion that was supposed to create 266 new jobs. Instead, the workforce shrank. The plant employed about 300 people when East Baking Company bought the former Southern Bakeries facility in 2023. It is closing with roughly 250.
A workforce assistance and hiring event for affected employees is set for July 28 at Hempstead Hall, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Local and state officials, including Rep. Dolly Henley and Sen. Steve Crowell, say they are working to connect displaced workers with jobs, training and resources.
