Carpet maker Beaulieu to sell rug division to S.C. flooring company

DALTON - The nation&#39;s third-largest carpet maker is selling its rug division to Springs Industries Incorporated -- a home fashions manufacturer. <br> <br> Terms of the deal involving Beaulieu of American were not disclosed. <br> <br> The deal is expected to close this month. <br> <br> The sale affects 500 employees at a Beaulieu rug plant in Dalton and 150 at a plant in Stratford, Ontario. <br> <br> Springs spokesman Ted Matthews said Monday no decisions have been made about possible job reductions or other changes at either plant. <br> <br> Springs said in a statement that U.S. antitrust regulators have approved the purchase and approval is pending in Canada. <br> <br> The privately held Beaulieu is based in Dalton and employes about 11,000 people -- including 3,000 in northwest Georgia&#39;s Murray and Whitfield counties. <br> <br> Officials declined to comment on the sale. <br> <br> Springs is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and went private in September. The company has more than two billion dollars in annual sales and about 17,000 workers in 13 states, Canada and Mexico. It sells its products under such brands as Graber, Regal, Springmaid and Wamsutta.