A textile plant that was once the largest employer in Griffin is expected to close next month and move operations to Brazil, Spalding County officials said.
The plant, which manufactures towels and other textiles and employs about 350 people, is operated by Fort Mill, S.C.-based Springs Industries.
“Eventually this would have happened, but we would have hoped not this soon,” said Spalding County Manager William Wilson.
He said the company notified the county before Christmas that it planned to close the plant in February.
He said the plant has been downsizing for several years but remains one of the 20 largest employers in the county.
Formerly called Dundee Mills, the company had about 2,000 employees in the 1980s and was the county’s largest employer.
“It’s like watching an old friend die,” said Spalding County Commissioner David Phillips. “We’re holding our own and reindustrializing, but that was a kick in the teeth because we thought we would have more time.”
Springs Industries officials could not be reached for comment late Friday night.
The company, which merged with Brazil’s Cia De Tecidos do Norte de Minas SA to form Springs Global, announced in 2007 that it planned to move six factories from the United States to Brazil, according to Bloomberg News.
According to Bloomberg, Springs Industries employs 18,200 worldwide.
Wilson said Springs is offering employee transfers to available positions outside Georgia and is paying for worker retraining at Griffin Technical College.
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