Tobacco company layoffs stretch to Suwannee

MACON - 44 Brown and Williamson sales and marketing employees based in Suwanee will lose their jobs beginning August 31st. <br> <br> The layoffs in Gwinnett County come after up to 1,410 at the company&#39;s cigarette factory in Macon. Those layoffs are expected August 13th as the company completes a $2.6 billion merger with R.J. Reynolds.<br> <br> The Macon plant, which has 2,000 workers, will shut down by 2006. The remaining 600 workers, along with 25 in Suwanee, may be offered jobs elsewhere in the combined company.<br> <br> Pending approval by shareholders and regulators, the merger is expected to be completed next month.<br> <br> At its peak, the 28-year-old B plant made 75 billion to 80 billion cigarettes a year.

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