COLUMBUS - Johnston Industries Incorporated filed for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection, saying it was caught in a severe downturn facing U.S. textile manufacturers. <br>
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The 33-year-old company, headquartered in Columbus, filed its Chapter Eleven petition Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia. <br>
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Company officials said they hope to reorganize, phasing out production of inexpensive fabrics and concentrating instead on high-end weaves for industrial and automotive customers. <br>
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Johnston recently cut back production at its Opp and Micolas mills in Opp, Alabama, reducing its work force there by 200 people. <br>
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That leaves about 1,500 Johnston employees overall, including several hundred at its Southern Phenix Textiles plant in Phenix City, Alabama. <br>
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CEO and executive vice president James Murray offered no timetable for the company's reorganization and would not say whether the company will cut more workers or shut down any of its eight mills in Alabama and Iowa.
