Company officials say OSB plant has become major Polk County taxpayer and employer

Sher Hughes, human resources director at Corgon OSB, told the Polk County Commissioners Court on Jan. 27 that the company now operates two production lines and is the largest single‑site producer of oriented strand board in North America. "With those two lines in production, we are the single site producer or actually the largest single site producer of oriented strand board in North America," Hughes said.

Hughes said Corgon employs about 320 people and that 32% of them live in Polk County. She and Scott Townsen, director of OSB manufacturing for Roya Martin, described the plant’s local ties, noting partnerships with area schools, volunteer fire departments and local vendors.

County figures presented at the meeting showed county property‑tax revenue tied to the company rose from about $2,000 before a tax abatement to nearly $108,000 currently. According to the packet shared with the court, that revenue is projected to exceed $1 million by 2027 and approach $2 million by 2034. Hughes also said combined property and sales‑tax contributions related to the project have totaled a little over $2 million since 2021.

County officials and the presenters framed the tax abatement as a trade‑off: short‑term reductions in collections in exchange for local jobs and longer‑term increases in tax receipts as production and payroll rise. "We grow trees and we grow people," Hughes said, describing the company’s stewardship and workforce investments.

Commissioners asked for the written packet the presenters left and did not take additional action; the presentation was informational. The court’s packet also included revenue projections for other projects for context, including a cited increase for an ETC hydroelectric project (estimated from ~$35,000 to ~$345,000) and a solar project (from a little over $6,000 to roughly $174,000 annually).