Montgomery County, NC
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Kissell Responds to Plant Closings

The Post
by R.L. Thompson

Mastercraft fabrics, an affiliate of Norwood Yarn, was the latest plant closing affecting over 60 textile employees in Troy last week. The company had closed its Norwood facility in Stanly County just last month, putting another 100 employees out of work, and just last month Mt. Gilead's McRae Footwear laid off 80 workers.

"We lost 800 jobs in Montgomery County when Renfro closed and went south of the border. Robin Hayes said he was 'flat-out, horizontally opposed' to the Central American Free Trade Agreement after seeing thousands laid-off by Pillowtex, then goes and votes for it when the President asked him to. We've all given Hayes the chance to do the right thing and instead he has stood with President Bush rather than the people of our district. That is why I'm running for Congress," said Kissell.

The Black & Decker plant outside Fayetteville that at one time employed 675 people announced this week that it's moving up plans to close this year. Several of those jobs have already been sent to a plant in Reynosa, Mexico.

"It's no longer just textiles in our district being devastated by the Washington politicians. We see it from Kannapolis all the way to Fayetteville. If we don't take a stand now, there won't be any manufacturing jobs left at all. It is time for Robin Hayes to realize that what he has done is a firing offense," stated Kissell.