Beaulieu America Alabama fibers plant- Beaulieu America announces partial closing of Alabama fibers plant - Arhive

Beaulieu America announced last month it will shut down a portion of its operations in Bridgeport, a move that coincides with the long-term shift from carpet to hard surfaces that has accelerated faster than expected.Beaulieu America Alabama fibers plant

While the pellet portion of the facility will remain open, the extrusion, cabling and heat set operations will cease production no later than March 31. The closure will affect 359 employees, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) list provided by the state of Alabama.Beaulieu America Alabama fibers plant

Tom Ellis, a spokesman for the Georgia company, said they are still on track for closing the extrusion operations by the end of March. Beaulieu is working with affected associates to assist with re-employment and transfers to other operations within the company’s footprint.Beaulieu America Alabama fibers plant

At the time of the announcement, President Michael Pollard said the decision to close part of the Bridgeport facility had nothing to do with the workers.Beaulieu America Alabama fibers plant

“Our associates there have performed very well over the years, and we are grateful for their dedication and service,” he said. “We determined that these short-term changes are necessary to allow us to invest long-term in our commercial, residential carpet and hard surface product offering.”Beaulieu America Alabama fibers plant

The Bridgeport fiber plant, open since 1987, extrudes nylon, polyester and polypropylene fibers, provides heat set and cabling for these fibers, and produces nylon pellets for fiber extrusion. Beaulieu also operates a Bridgeport fabrics facility that employs 225 workers and has been operational since 1990.

Despite the loss of more than 300 jobs in Bridgeport, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rick Roden said there are other opportunities in the area for displaced Beaulieu workers.

Google is moving forward with a new data center in Bridgeport, while the future development of Bellefonte Nuclear Plant may provide 8,000 to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs during peak construction. Beyond construction jobs, the project will also create about 2,400 high-paying permanent jobs.

Roden said there may be prospects at Maple Industries, the county’s largest employer with 1,850 workers, or at Lozier Corporation, which has 444 employees. Both facilities operate in nearby Scottsboro.

“We’re hoping some of those workers will be able to be absorbed into our community so they won’t have to leave,” Roden said. “We’re certainly looking at other opportunities that are coming down the road that will be able to offset that a little bit.”