“Y’all just keep on working,” Gov. Kay Ivey told officials at Rex Lumber Troy Wednesday morning during a visit to tour the new saw mill.

The lumber company isn’t fully operational yet – it currently employs 66 people and is still working to install its second shift, which will bring the total number of employees to around 120 by the beginning of 2020.

“We were at the point of going to try to tell (Rex) that ‘we’re going to try to do this’ and ‘we’re going to try to do that’ and you know how that works with business people,” Jimmy Lunsford of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation told Ivey. “(The state’s offer to level the land) made everything happen.”

Martha Roby, representative of Alabama’s 2nd congressional district, also stopped by to celebrate the progress on the lumber mill.

“This is beautiful; it’s huge,” Roby said. “We’re just excited that you’re here and all of the jobs and contributions that you’re making to the economy here, in the second district and in our state.”

“We’re just so pleased and so proud to be here,” said Caroline McRae of Rex Lumber.

In February 2018, the county offered $750,000 in incentives to Rex Lumber, including the purchase of a 214-acre property and reimbursement for site preparation.

“I think it was a great day for Pike County,” said Robin Sullivan, commission chairman. “It’s a really huge facility. They made an initial investment of more than $110 million and put people to work. They’re about to start their second shift; we couldn’t be happier with the choice we made doing what we did on our end to get this company to come here. It’s really a great day for our county being able to land a business of this magnitude. I think it helps provide a better quality of life for our citizens.”