State sees shuttered plants

In the last month several industrial plants across the state shut down and more than 2200 jobs were lost.

The manufacturing industry concentrated in North Carolina's smaller towns and rural areas got its foothold in the state more than 100 years ago said Emil Malizia UNC professor and chairman of the Department of City and Regional Planning.

Those manufacturing jobs which initially brought higher salaries to the state have been disappearing in the last 10 to 15 years Malizia said.

Now financial professional and business services which kept the economy moving during the manufacturing downturn" are starting to have problems of their own.

""There are non-metropolitan and rural parts of the state that have been hurting for a long time. Metropolitan areas are going to start feeling that pain as well"" he said.

Since 2002, North Carolina's unemployment rates have been at all-time highs, said Larry Parker, spokesman for the N.C. Employment Securities Commission. In September, the state's unemployment rate was 7 percent.

The commission, which helps people weather unemployment, has 89 offices in the state and all are seeing high traffic, Parker said.

It's a difficult time in North Carolina" but that's why we have those offices. We help folks the best we can" he said.

This week, Silver Line Building Products announced it would close its Durham plant, leaving more than 400 jobless.

When manufacturing workers lose their jobs, they often have to learn new skills because of the shrinking availability of manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturer Kohler, which relocated to Statesville from Canada in May, announced in September that it will close its Statesville plant, leaving more than 500 without jobs.

We're very surprised by this announcement"" said Michael Smith, executive director for the Greater Statesville Development Corporation.

We were working with them on training programs within the last month. This is the largest shutdown of this type in the history of our particular community.""

 Smith said the real estate publication Site Selection magazine ranked the Statesville-Mooresville area first in the nation for attracting new and expanded corporate facilities projects three of the last four years.

The community is accustomed to success" he said.

Because of the changing economy manufacturing workers do not always have the skills necessary to find jobs beyond the shrinking manufacturing industry.

The N.C. Department of Commerce helps those workers re-enter the job market said Kathy Neal" spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Commerce.

""Our job is to provide services that will get the workers back into the job market or into education training programs as quickly as possible"" Neal stated in an e-mail.

Sometimes that requires additional education to meet new professional demands, said Audrey Bailey, spokeswoman for the N.C. Community College System.

We've had an increase in enrollment because of the downturn in the economy"" she said. We're the resource where folks turn for help.""

Officials from community colleges work with the commerce department to prepare laid-off workers for new employment" Bailey said.

Charles Summey city manager in Forest City where a Hanesbrands Inc. knit-fabric textile plant will shut down by next June said the closing will affect more than just the plant's workers. The city's sewer and water departments will lose revenue" too.

""They bought 3.5 million gallons of water a day from us. We're worried about helping our employees"" Summey said.

I'll just be glad when the whole economy gets better. I think it'll be better for everybody.""



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