A Glens Falls cement facility is halting production after more than 100 years in operation.

City Mayor Bill Collins said the Lehigh Cement Plant has been a major employer in Glens Falls since the late 1800s, and the city is sorry to see it go.

Lehigh’s parent company, which is based in Texas, said it’s become challenging for small and aging plants like the Glens Falls facility to manufacture products in a cost-effective way.

That means 85 full-time employees are losing their jobs.

Lehigh has offered those workers other jobs within the company. The company is helping Glens Falls employees who don't want to relocate find other local work.

Collins said the city just hired a former Lehigh employee. He said ensuring the others find new work is his first concern.

“The second concern we’ll address later this year — work with Lehigh to find a future for that property and for that plant. Whether it stays a cement company or becomes something else, we just don’t know yet. We need to take care of the first-things-first, which is helping those employees,” he said.

The plant will shut down in phases later this year.

Collins would like to see condos built in the spot, but said that’s a discussion for another day.

A spokesperson for Lehigh said despite the closure, it will still have the capacity to meet current and future needs of its Northeast customers after the Glens Falls plant closes.