Milliken Longleaf Plant closure to displace 260 workers in Sylvania
Approximately 260 Sylvania workers will need to find a new job in the near future.
Milliken & Company announced on July 13 that it will be closing its local Longleaf plant as part of a consolidation of Milliken's textile manufacturing footprint, according to a press release by spokesperson Betsy Sikma.
The company will be phasing out Longleaf's operations and transitioning all production lines to the expanded and modernized Magnolia Plant located in Blacksburg, S.C.
While Milliken intends to hold onto the Longleaf property "for the foreseeable future," it still means the staff will have to find new jobs. Sikma said in the release that, during this phase out process, the company intends to offer employees jobs at other Milliken locations and, if they choose not to transfer, "the company has engaged local staffing partners to help connect associates with competitive jobs in the immediate area."
Jake Gay, who worked at Longleaf in various roles over the span of 2.5 years, said via Messenger that he hates to see the closure.
"As a former employee I hate it for my former co-workers. I also hate it for the community because it may have a negative socioeconomic impact because it will eliminate 250 or more jobs and may drive those folks and any children of those out of Screven County," he said. "It also means that is less jobs for future generations to join the workforce."
No current employees could be reached for comment.
The closure will also mean the potential end to a longstanding fight between the Sylvania plant, which sits near a tributary of the Ogeechee River, and environmental activists. In 2011, when it was the King America Finishing plant, it was the site of a fish kill that left 38,000 fish dead. The Ogeechee Riverkeeper sued under the federal Clean Water Act, which resulted in, among other punishments, a payout of $2.5 million.
Milliken bought the plant in 2014, but there have still been issues. According to the facility's Environmental Protection Division report, there have been multiple violations for the presence of coliform bacteria between 2018 and 2022.
In previous reports: Textile plant commits to eliminating 'forever chemicals' that pollute Ogeechee River
In February, the company promised, by the end of the year, to eliminate all PFAs from its textile facilities, including Longleaf. PFAs are man-made chemicals that have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, high exposure has been linked to health problems like increased risk of cancer, decreased fertility and developmental delays in children.
In a news release published July 14, Ogeechee Riverkeeper acknowledged the local economic impacts of the plant's closure, but believes it will be "an overall positive step for the health and cleanliness of the watershed."
"This removes the primary source of industrial effluent into our river," said Ogeechee Riverkeeper Executive Director Damon Mullis. "ORK will continue to carefully monitor the status of the discharge as the factory undergoes decommissioning and closure."
In the announcement, Chad McAllister, EVP and president of Milliken’s Textile Business, said, "We have a long history of manufacturing excellence in Georgia, and we are committed to our shared growth and success in the future."
"This consolidation does not extend to other Milliken Georgia locations and does not signal additional production line realignments. We are grateful to everyone who made our time in Sylvania a success,” McAllister said.
Longleaf is scheduled to be closed around early 2023.Milliken has eight other locations in Georgia. Next to Longleaf, the closest one is the Kingsley Plant, a textile facility in Thomson, Georgia, which is approximately 90 miles northwest of Sylvania and approximately 30 miles west of Augusta.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Sylvania Milliken plant to close; 260 workers may opt to transfer
