Springs closes its last two SC textile plants, cutting 750 jobs

Source: The (Rock Hill) Herald

ROCK HILL — Springs Global will close the last of its two South Carolina manufacturing plants this fall, slicing 750 local jobs and ending the company’s 120-year tradition of making products in the state.

The company announced Wednesday morning that the Grace Finishing and Grace Fabrication facilities in Lancaster and the Close Plant in Fort Lawn will be shut down around Aug. 31.
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At its zenith 20 years ago, the company was the state’s largest private employer, with 17,000 South Carolina workers. A total of 23,500 people worked for the company worldwide.
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“The closing of these plants reflects the global nature of the textile industry, which has made U.S. textile manufacturing uncompetitive,” Crandall Bowles, Springs co-chairwoman and co-chief executive officer, said in the company’s news release. “Though inevitable for the company, this move is a sad and difficult one for my family and the people and communities involved.”

Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/front/story/6566042p-5844565c.html

It was "inevitable" that the jobs would have to be moved to China, Bowles? In that case, why isn't inevitable that YOUR job be moved to China?

countries to further 'cut costs'...

Now Mexican wages are to burdensome?

Yep, just keep feeding the mighty Wal-marts so they can dictate where and how the products they sell are made.

nice to see that she's so concerned about the little people

in North Carolina - that is going to hurt and bad too. All the families that are going to be affected by this, breaks your heart...

(they killed about 17k jobs in a city of 35K using various tax incentives (which of necessity also resulted in a new labor team and restructured their workforce to starting salaries).

I appreciate the pain of the workers, but I've got to say that what goes around comes around. EVERYONE was stupid not to see this coming.

While watching the process of jobs "going South" in the 60's and 70's no one, and I REALLY mean NO ONE in the north or the south, did anything effective to prevent the jobs just leaving the country altogether.

an economic boomtown. My dad held a management position and also functioned as an union-buster. Throughout my teens, I tried to tell him what would inevitably happen. And it did. His job went to Mexico 22 years ago. He regrets much now.

of cheaper, and probably non-union labor.

The more things change...

employer with 17,000 jobs? Didn't take long for reagonomics to wipe them out (and yes, I realize that Clinton had a hand in there too). This is a tragedy, and something must be done. Soon we will have no jobs left in our country, and everyone will look around them and ask why.

Who knows anymore!?

:scared:

I can't think of anything else.

Guess what kind of company I work for.

I find this news quite sad.

I think Springs tried hard to keep the Carolinas textile tradition alive. I also thank its ownership for helping to beautify the Fort Mill area, including a gigantic land donation for a wilderness area and nature preserve.

Good luck to my friends back in Lancaster who might be affected by this.

American textiles were always of the highest quality and I've purchased Springs products for decades. No more. I will buy offshored stuff only when it's absolutely necessary and I can't find old USA stock or a good, used item. Another kill for America's trade policy.