Sheetrock Demise In Empire

Empire, Nevada was dedicated to making sheetrock. That's all they did.

The housing slump as a result of the recession has put an end to the sheetrock making in Empire, and Empire itself.

The town is now shutting down for good, including the zip code. It can't get more final than that.

People that spent their lives working for USG in Empire now have to relocate.

CS Monitor: Slump in construction industry creates a Sheetrock ghost town

Many towns have been scarred by the recession, but Empire will be the first to completely disappear.


Empire was shutting down. "I had to stand in front of 92 people and say 'Not only do you not have a job anymore, you don't have a house anymore...'"


By some accounts, the Empire facility – known here as "the gyp" – encompasses the longest continuously operating mine in the country.


For decades, Empire was largely insulated from the troubles of the outside world. Here, you could rent a company-owned home for $250 a month, or an apartment for as little as $110. Water, cable TV, sewer, trash, and Internet service were all provided on the company dime.