No local jobs lost in Shaw cuts
Published 12:01 am Friday, June 12, 2015
The local Shaw Industries plant will not be affected by company cuts, officials said Thursday.
Last week, it was announced that the Bainbridge, Ga., plant would lay off 267 employees, according to The Star-News’ sister paper, The (Bainbridge) Post-Searchlight.
These layoffs only affect Bainbridge’s Plant 70.
Additionally, some 160 jobs will be cut at the Valley Head plant, which is one of that county’s leading employers.
“The layoffs announced for the Shaw plants in Valley Head, Ala., and Bainbridge, Ga., are isolated to those operations because of the type of material they manufacture,” Human Resources Director for Shaw’s manufacturing and distribution divisions Al Scruggs said. “We continually review and adjust production to match market demands. While we take a long-view of the business, we also look at more short-term sales and staffing forecasts to ensure we are aligned with the market and making incremental changes as necessary to avoid large swings in capacity.”
The local plant employs around 1,200 employees and has four 12-hour shifts.
“Plant 65 in Andalusia is currently steady and doing well,” Scruggs said. “As we look at those shorter-term sales and staffing forecasts through the end of summer, we expect the plant to continue to operate at its current level.”
Shaw has announced $342 million in investments over the last 18 months to grow its hardwood, resilient, carpet tile, extrusion, distribution and recycling operations in the U.S.
“At full capacity, these expansions will create almost 1,000 jobs throughout the Southeast,” Scruggs told state media last week. “As we continue to grow, we will continually adjust production to match market demands and to leverage our investments in more advanced technology.”
Shaw, a carpet and flooring manufacturer, is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Co., and is based in Dalton, Ga.