Belleville Mill to close its doors after 56 years of service to community

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
John Hoops announced Monday that the Belleville Mill will be closing its doors at the end of the business day on Dec. 31.
The mill has been serving the Belleville community for 56 years under the ownership of the Hoops family. It is located next to the railroad track between Savage Road/East Columbia Ave. and South Street in the City of Belleville.
John Hoops said the pending decision to close the business is why he backed off from a sure reappointment to the Belleville Downtown Development Authority in December, saying he would let them know his decision in January.
Hoops is the current president of the Belleville DDA.
He said the decision to close the business was based on several factors, including rising costs and not being able to make the business strong.