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November 6, 2007

Richmond's Charbert fabrics to close in early '08

RICHMOND -- Charbert, a division of Narrow Fabrics of America, will close early next year, the company said today.

“It’s pretty much a straightforward business decision,” said Phillip G. Loscoe Jr., a spokesman for the company, citing foreign competition and cost of labor.

The company started notifying Monday the approximately 100 affected employees at Charbert’s Alton and Peace Dale manufacturing facilities, Loscoe said.

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation ranked NFA Corp., of Chestnut Hill, Mass., among the state’s top employers in 2006.

According to that report, Charbert accounted for 180 of NFA Corp.’s 440 jobs in the state.

In addition to Charbert, the other divisions of NFA Corp. are Hope Global and Novelty Bias Binding/Plastics Company, both of Cumberland. They will not be affected by the layoffs, Loscoe said.

Charbert -- named after its previous owners, Charles and Albert Cunliffe -- started operations in Alton (Richmond), its headquarters, in 1962.

It knits, dyes and finishes wide elastic fabrics for swimwear, intimate apparel, active wear, athletic, medical and non-apparel applications, according to the company’s web site (www.charbert.com).

NFA Corp. of Massachusetts is tentatively planning to close Charbert in February, when the last shipment is scheduled, Loscoe said.

The actual closing date, he said, “will be very much determined by customer need.”

-- Journal staff writer Maria Armental

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 6:35 PM | Permalink

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