In 1961, one of the newer industries in Diboll, Tex-Lam Inc. opened its doors and provided jobs for about 60 people.
The plant not only turned out engineered wood products, but huge, clear span arches for churches, gymnasiums and mighty columns for industrial and commercial construction, many still standing proudly today in many Angelina County structures as well as other parts of the country.
On Wednesday, June 20, demolition crews plowed through the 120' x 250' structure, which had been used for storage for a number of years, and all that remains are many memories and the East Texas timber used to build it, now lies on the ground from which it came.
Overseeing the teardown is James Furgurson, Temple-Inland Special Projects Manager for building owner Temple-Inland said, "The old building had seen its better days and needed to be torn down. Efforts to stop it from leaking were unsuccessful and we couldn't protect the items being stored there from damage."
Tex-Lam, founded in 1953 in Houston, was moved to Diboll in February of 1961 to be nearer the center of its trade territory and source of raw materials. Tex-Lam was able to produce engineered wood components by laminating several boards or timbers together and, pound for pound, made the finished product much stronger than steel and many times more attractive for use in the home as well as industry.
Officers of Tex-Lam included President Jim Bridges; Vice-President Joe Denman; General Manager Mike Partin and Sales Manager Larry Boyd.
Although primarily a producer of laminated wood, the company also turned out heavy timber trusses, plywood components, trussed rafters and an array of special products. Tex-Lam was not only a producer but also a designer and sub-contractor for erecting wood buildings including the Southern Pine Lumber Company's (which later became Temple-Inland) plywood plant in Diboll.
Other projects included the new Southern Pine airplane hangar at the Angelina County Airport and the new library in Diboll. While in operation, the company also provided fifty-one, 120-foot spanded bow-string trusses for Carter Bros. Lumber Company in Camden and three timber schools in Houston, and the laminated beams and arches used in the construction of the First Methodist Church in Lufkin.
Denman said, "It was not economically feasible to continue making our products 'the old fashion way' due to the introduction of modernized techniques and equipment, therefore we had to close the plant, I think sometime in the 1980s."
Furgurson said that as soon as the cleanup is complete, a smaller structure would be built and mainly used for storage.
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