Another coal company shuts down and lays off workers, this time in Floyd County.

Friday was the last day of operations for the Black Diamond Mining Company.

This comes after the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy several months ago, citing the economy as one of the reasons.

Black Diamond mining officials would not talk with us, but some employees said they were hopeful several months ago the company would emerge out of bankruptcy, but now the company closed.

Coal is no longer running at Black Diamond Mines in Floyd County. Records show Black Diamond produced around two million tons of coal per year at three surface mines and 10 underground mines. But Friday, the company shut down operations and let go employees.

“It's always depressing when you hear the loss of jobs,” Floyd County Judge Executive R.D. “Doc” Marshall said.

Floyd County Judge-Executive Doc Marshall says Black Diamond Mining is the latest coal company to close citing the sluggish economy.

Company officials at the Prestonsburg headquarters turned down our interview requests, but court records show they filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy months ago.

“With the economy and the money, when that money is not there then it's certainly not pumped into the economy and you'll start to see things close simply because they cannot operate,” Doc Marshall said.

Black Diamond workers we talked to did not want to go on camera, but say this day came as no surprise, saying they knew months ago they were losing their jobs and dozens employees already left the company before this closing.

Company officials did not tell us how many employees were laid off, but Floyd County leaders hate to see them go.

“These are jobs that are paying above average wages and those jobs are hard to find,” Judge executive Marshall said.

Now the former employees are wondering what they will do next, while county officials wonder if these coal mines will stay idle.

Floyd County leaders say the job losses and closing will affect the rest of the county because now there is less money circulating in the local economy.