Mohawk Cutting Back at Commercial Carpet Plant

Dublin, GA, Aug. 3, 2009--Mohawk Industries is scaling back at its Dublin commercial carpet plant.

According to Macon.com, Mohawk plans to layoff 400 workers by next March.

The company informed the Georgia Department of Labor of the cuts Thursday, according to the Labor Department Web site — categorizing it as a “substantial layoff.”

The plant will keep 190 workers, retaining their dyeing operation and the customer service department, Dublin Mayor Phil Best told the newspaper.

Mohawk, based in Calhoun, announced its second quarter earnings Thursday. The company made second quarter net earnings of $46 million, after a net loss of $106 million in the first quarter of 2009.

“They feel like they could be more profitable by divesting what was here and putting it into five different plants,” Brian Rogers, Laurens County administrator, told the newspaper.

While Mohawk will keep using the building, some of the production equipment will be removed. The plant will still produce a reduced line of soft surface material, he said.

City and county officials described Mohawk as a “good corporate member” of the community.