By Associated Press
Gadsden, AL – About 170 people will be without jobs in February after Dixie-Pacific closes its manufacturing plant in Gadsden.
Company president Frank Glover says the factory will begin phasing out work so it can shut down in early 2008. He calls the move a last resort after a year of cost-cutting and operational improvements.
County development officials were caught off guard by the announcement. They say Dixie-Pacific claimed to be doing well with no plans to close at a meeting just four months ago.
Gadsden Mayor Sherman Guyton says the city will do anything it can to help the affected families.
Dixie-Pacific makes wood and fiberglass architectural columns, posts and railings. It was acquired by Fortune Brands in 2006.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)