Gildan Yarns files notice to permanently close one Rowan Co. facility

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Gildan Yarns has filed a WARN notice with the North Carolina Department of Commerce saying it would be permanently closing one of its facilities in Rowan County.

In the notice, Human Resources Director Jim Powers wrote that the Salisbury 1 manufacturing plant is being closed “as part of Gildan’s plan to continue to balance production and inventory levels to drive an efficient and competitive manufacturing platform.”

Powers wrote that employees of this plant are being offered the opportunity to transfer to other area operations in Salisbury and Mocksville.

“In accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, the City Manager of Salisbury NC, the Mayor of Salisbury NC, and the County Manager of Rowan County NC have all been notified of this plant closing. The affected employees are not represented by a labor union. Transfer rights do exist, and employees may apply for positions at other Gildan locations,” Powers wrote.

“We hate to hear when any company or industry is struggling. We especially hate it when it hits close to home. Our hearts certainly go out to the affected employees,” said Rowan County Commission Chairman Greg Edds. “We will be working with our education community, our Economic Development professionals, and the Chamber of Commerce to make sure that the affected employees are connected to new opportunities right here at home.

“While this news is not welcome, Rowan County is in a different position than it has been when these announcements have hit us in the past,” edds added. “Colliers recently reported that Rowan County has the largest amount of industrial construction underway in the entire Charlotte Region. Those projects mean new jobs and the new jobs we’ve been attracting have been extremely competitive from a wage and benefits perspective.”

“So while we’re certainly disappointed and concerned about our affected families, we’re grateful that new, quality opportunities are here,” Edds said. “Now we need to go to work to match the needs with the opportunities.”

The Rowan EDC provided he following statement:

The forthcoming closure of one of the two Gildan plants in Rowan County, affecting 258 workers, was brought to our attention this week via the WARN reports. The Rowan EDC, in unison with our community partners, is committed to supporting the displaced employees through this transition. With the plant expected to close its doors on December 8, we want to underscore the timeliness of the upcoming fall job fair, scheduled for November 4, as a pathway for workers seeking new employment opportunities. The Rowan EDC, Rowan County, and Granite Quarry are all committed to lending all their resources to assist Gildan in any way possible to assist them in remaining competitive and maintaining their presence in Rowan County.

According to the Department of Commerce, companies that have announced plans to either close a facility or conduct a mass personnel layoff are required to file with the state, under certain circumstances, a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification - commonly called a WARN notice.

WARN notices trigger the Rapid Response team into action, providing transition support for the people impacted by the action.

The WARN notice was filed on Tuesday. The closing date is listed as December 8.

In June, Gildan was awarded $312,000 in a business expansion grant from the Rowan EDC. At that time, Rowan County commissioners acknowledged the company’s positive impact on the local community, emphasizing their contribution to the well-being of Rowan County’s citizens, thanking Gildan Yarns for their choice to establish and operate their business within the county, highlighting their profitability and the mutual benefits derived from their presence.

Officials said today that the grant money was invested in the part of the facility that is not closing.