East Alabama Textile Mills Closing Soon

By: Associated Press | Alabama's13.com
Published: December 19, 2007

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VALLEY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's textile industry is taking another

big hit: Hundreds of people are losing their jobs in yet another

round of plant closings.

The Wellstone Mills plant in Eufaula closed earlier this month,

eliminating 117 workers.

Another 850 jobs will be slashed in Valley as WestPoint Home

closes a pair of factories in February. And Springs Global will

close a yarn plant in Piedmont in April, costing 325 jobs.

Springs Global vice president Roland Meyers blames the closing

on foreign competition.

The state says there were about 36,000 textile jobs in Alabama

at the end of October. But manufacturers already have notified

officials of plans to eliminate 3,600 textile jobs this year.

In all, a trade group says the United States has lost more than

1 million textile jobs since 1994. That's when the North American

Free Trade Agreement went into effect, eliminating tariffs on goods

traded between the United States, Mexico and Canada.