ROME - Beaulieu of America says it will close the Marglen Industries carpet tufting plant in Rome early next year, putting 160 employees out of work. <br>
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Beaulieu will begin the shutdown February seventh and consolidate tufting operations at a larger plant in Dalton, where the company is based. <br>
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The director of human resources, Bernadette Martin, said 175 employees at the fiber extrusion and bottle processing operations in Rome will not be affected by the closure of the tufting operations. <br>
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Beaulieu of America acquired Marglen Industries in Rome in 1998, hoping to gain access to the polyester carpet market. The company completed a $14 million expansion in 2000 at Marglen that tripled its polyester fiber extrusion production. <br>
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The Rome tufting operation makes carpet with fiber made of polyethylene terepthalate, a plastic recovered from used soft drink bottles. <br>
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The president and chief operating officer, Ralph Boe, said the closing will allow Beaulieu, which employs seven-thousand, to remain competitive. <br>
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This is the second layoff at the tufting plant this year. In January the company laid off 55 workers in the finishing department.
