Gildan Yarns is laying off 258 workers by closing one of its plants in Salisbury, according to a notice with the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Employees are being offered the opportunity to transfer to other area operations in Salisbury and Mocksville. The plant is expected to close on Dec. 8.
The employees are not represented by a union, and transfer rights exist.
“This facility 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,” said Jim Powers, director of human resources at Gildan in Sanford, in a letter to state officials.
Gildan operates two plants in Salisbury. The layoffs are in the Heilig Road manufacturing plant. According to the Rowan County Economic Development Council, the company has 550 workers in the county.
Last year, the company closed its distribution center in Mebane and laid off 128 employees.
The Montreal-based company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of apparel, underwear and socks. Its retail brands include American Apparel, Gildan activewear, Goldtoe, and Peds.
In December 2021, the company spent $168 million to purchase Frontier Yarns, which has two facilities in Mayodan. It then sold one of the yarn-spinning manufacturing plants in Mayodan to Milliken in 2022.
The company has 45,000 employees around the world. In the second quarter, it produced revenue of $840 million, down from $896 a year earlier. Its net income was down slightly to $155 million in the second quarter from $158 million last year.