Staff photo by Jake Daniels
Shaw Industries, based in Dalton, Ga., is a leading maker of floorcovering.Shaw Industries plans to layoff workers in Ringgold and Eton, according to a company spokesman.
"Shaw continues to align and consolidate its manufacturing resources in response to market demand," Al Scruggs, director of human resources, said in an email. "We have made some recent reductions in Ringgold and Eton. We anticipate having positions available at other Shaw facilities for those who are interested in staying with the company."
The floor-covering giant operates a hardwood flooring plant near Exit 345 on Interstate 75 and a warehouse near the Catoosa County water plant, both in Ringgold. Initial statements from the company did not say which facilities or how many workers would be affected.
In December 2009, Catoosa commissioners agreed to delay taxes and guarantee a sewer project to keep the Shaw laminate plant in Ringgold. In June 2009, Shaw announced it would consolidate operations from its Algona, Wash., laminate plant to the Ringgold facility.
"Project Tiger," the county's code name for the incentives package, was to forgive taxes on $12 million in new equipment for five years. The county also agreed to run sewer lines to the site, which had been planned for some time.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.