Business news : Russell to Lay Off 190 Workers in Alabama

Russell plans to lay off 190 of its 390 employees at its Alexander City decoration facility. Tony Greeson, vice president of manufacturing, said in the press release that the reduction was necessary for the company to keep up with its competition.

“The competitiveness of the apparel market makes for a very difficult business environment and requires that we constantly seek the most cost-effective production available,” Greeson said. “Unfortunately, the Alexander City decoration operation is no longer cost competitive relative to other production we have around the world.”

Greeson said the decoration facility will not be closed completely.

“We are maintaining a decoration facility in Alexander City, but by restructuring the operations there, we can position the company to be more competitive,” Greeson said. “This decision is in no way a reflection on the dedication and efforts of our associates in Alexander City.”

Employees were notified Thursday via a letter in accordance with the federal law, which stipulates layoffs affecting more than 100 employees be announced 60 days in advance. The layoffs are expected to occur on or around March 5 and will near completion by early July.

Russell Brands LLC is a division of Fruit of the Loom company of Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire acquired Russell in 2006.

( SportsOneSource Media )