FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Last week News13 learned that the Galey and Lord Textile plant in Society Hill will close next month.
With that will go more than 100 jobs to the area. However, we found hundreds more jobs across the Pee Dee are also on the chopping block.
Five companies will set to close their doors in the coming months; altogether 300 jobs are on the line.
“That makes me a little concerned,” said Heather Noble.
Noble and her family moved to Florence recently from Pennsylvania.
“I moved here to get away from the weather and hope that there were better job opportunities. There are help wanted signs everywhere, but it’s all online stuff and all you get is pop up ads for colleges,” she stated.
“Officials in our area need to get more jobs that are more designed for people in this area. I think the jobs that they are bringing to this area are more based off of the jobs that they had back in the 80’s and the 70’s with the textile industries,” added Martel Brown, who is also seeking employment.
When Galey and Lord in Society Hill closes 125 of their workers will be impacted.
While ESAB in Florence announced it will complete its final round of layoffs of 150 workers.
Also on the list of companies closing are American Light of Mullins, Huddle House of Mullins and Hancock Fabrics, which will altogether erase 40 jobs.
“I think it’s just one of those things that we really have to get our people basically to the level that they are required or they need,” Brown mentioned.
With the announcement of “project tulip” here in Florence recently, that should bring in about 60 jobs plus a number of construction jobs.
SC Works will hold a job fair at the SiMT building on the campus of Florence-Darlington Technical College Thursday April 14th from 10:00 am-2:00 pm.
