WACO, Texas — There's now less than a week left before Central Freight Lines ends its 96-year-run in Waco and more than 2000 employees nationwide are still struggling to process the unexpected closure.
Many showed up for work Tuesday morning and found the gate closed and security on the property.
Hundreds of local workers employed at the Waco headquarters will soon be jobless, but the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce told 25 News it doesn't expect them to be without a job for long.
"The silver lining to all of this is our economy here in Waco is just booming right now and there's lot of opportunities for those individuals to be replaced into new employment and to be reskilled if they choose to do so," Senior VP for Economic Development Kris Collins said.
The City of Waco and the mayor refused interviews with 25 News but released the following statement also boasting about the local economy.
"The job market in Waco is strong, and we feel confident with the number of new businesses and industries coming in that people will be able to find jobs. There are many industries who are interested in hiring from our Waco workforce."
Kris Collins said they knew Central Freight had struggled for a while financially, but the closure was still a shock to everyone.
"I think anytime a long-tenured employer decides to close their doors, especially abruptly like this, it tends to have a rippling effect emotionally through the community," she said. "Certainly, it's going to be impactful to those individuals and how it's going to impact their households, but hopefully that's a short-term issue they're going to face."
Collins also said the Chamber has programs to help connect those workers with open positions in the area.
25 News also called Central Freight Lines for two days, but they have not been available for comment.
