Mohawk Industries today announced that tufting operations in Lyerly, Georgia will shut down and the mill will be converted to a yarn storage facility next month.
The move will affect 250 employees in Chattooga County, although Mohawk said some of the individuals at the plant will remain to support warehousing operations, and the company will offer employment alternatives at nearby Mohawk facilities to as many people as possible.
Mohawk said it is now hiring additional workers for its nearby Summerville, Georgia plant, where it is investing in boosting fiber production.
"The toughest decisions in our business are those that involve people's jobs, particularly in communities where we have established long and important relationships," Michel Vermette, Mohawk's president of residential carpet, said in a statement today. "Like most businesses with a large operational footprint, we continuously assess how to best manufacture our products, which is resulting in this plant consolidation."
Rod Wedemeier, Mohawk's vice president of human resources, said the company hopes to retain as many of the displaced workers as possible.
"Our employees in Lyerly have always been among our best, and our priority is to assist them throughout this transition," said Wedemeier. "For any individuals we cannot place, we'll partner with the Georgia Department of Labor to find additional opportunities in the area."
During its past decade of growth, Mohawk, the world's largest flooring manufacturer, has invested millions of dollars in people and advanced technology to create products with differentiated features and benefits. Along with ongoing process improvements, these investments have allowed the business to provide greater product innovation, value and service to customers.
The announcement of the Mohawk mill closing comes shortly after Shaw Industries announced it is closing one of its yarn plants this month in Chatsworth, Georgia as it shifts more of its work to hard surfaces and other carpet styles.
In March, Engineered Floors Inc announced it was laying off 103 employees at its Gainesville, Georgia plant.