JPS Textile Group will cease operations at its Angle plant in Rocky Mount in June and consolidate the operations in the company's South Boston plant, JPS officials announced yesterday.
The JPS Angle plant employs approximately 180 people and produces unfinished filament apparel fabrics for use primarily in the women's fashion wear market. The South Boston plant employs approximately 300.
Any job opportunities available at South Boston will be made available first to those workers at Rocky Mount, John W. Sanders Jr., chief financial officer of JPS Textile Group said yesterday.
"It does involve some expansion (at South Boston)" but Sanders would not elaborate ....other than to say that South Boston was a "much more modern and versatile" facility. South Boston's plant is 286,000 sq. ft. while Rocky Mount is 88,000 sq. ft, according to the chief financial officer.
Sanders blames JPS' decision to downsize on Asian competition saying that in order for the US textile industry to compete effectively, it had to have products that "look different, feel different" and be able to produce the same quickly.
"Fortunately, we've built that sort of versatility into South Boston (operations)," he said.
The JPS announcement marked the second in textile plant closings in a month, with Burlington Industries announcing the overall cut of 2,900 jobs - including 150 jobs at its Clarksville plant - and the closing of seven plants in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina in a January 26 press release.
Both times Halifax County plants escaped the job loss bullet, with the Burlington Halifax plant continuing to hire and the local JPS plant untouched in yesterday's announcement.
"We are extremely saddened to announce this closing, but after an extensive study of our total apparel business it became clear that we needed to consolidate the operations of the Angle facility into the more modern and versatile South Boston plant," Jerry Hunter, chairman, president and chief executive officer, announced in a press release Thursday.
"This action is necessary to meet our customer requirements in the highly competitive fashion apparel segment. It will allow us to better capitalize our existing business and make it stronger and more competitive for the future," added Hunter.
Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, the company operates through its JPS Elastomerics and JPS Converter and Industrial subsidiaries and has 10 manufacturing plants in five states.
The South Boston plant was built in 1940 and was originally known by most residents of the area as Carter Fabrics and later as J.P.Stevens. The current name became effective in 1988 when the company changed ownership.
"For fiscal 1999 and beyond, we will increase our focus on growing our Industrial products segment, where we are a leading manufacturer in most of our product lines and continue to streamline our apparel and yarn segment," continued the JPS release. "On
the industrial side, roofing sales have strengthened and, with technological improvements in our urethane and fiberglass-based products, we are experiencing increased demand as we more effectively market our products and introduce new products.
"Our major capital expenditures are behind us with the completion of a $22.4 million capital program in 1998 from which we are beginning to see the benefits. Although we are encouraged by the recent performance of our industrial segment, we still view 1999 as a transitional year for our apparel business," advised Hunter.
JPS Textile GRP is traded on the Nasdaq: JPST and it closed yesterday at 3 3/4, down 3/4. The JPST stock has a 52-week trading range of 3 1/4 to 14 1/2.
For the fourth quarter, there was a net loss of $16.2 million, or $1.62 per share, on net sales of $100.1 million compared with pro forma net income of $4.3 million, or $0.43 per share, on net sales of $117.2 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997, according to the JPS Textile Group press release.

Governor Jim Gilmore will come to Halifax County Saturday to mingle with local tobacco farmers and demonstrate his concern for the people living in tobacco dependent communities, his press office confirmed Thursday.
Gilmore will be on hand from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Virginia Tobacco Trade Show and Conference being held Feb. 13 at the Halifax County High School.
He is scheduled to speak about his concerns for the plight of the tobacco farmer in the Southside and Southwest regions, and is expected also to touch on the companion tobacco bills passed unanimously by the House of Delegates and Senate earlier this week.
The bills outline a design to establish two statewide funds from the state's share of the $206 billion tobacco settlement.
One fund would be created from 50 percent of the state's portion of the settlement and would be used to help reimburse tobacco farmers and stimulate economic development in their communities suffering from lost income due to quota cuts and decreased demands for tobacco products. The other fund would reserve 10 percent to combat underage use of tobacco.
Fifth District Congressman Virgil Goode will open the conference by addressing the issues facing tobacco at the federal level, including the Master Settlement reached between the states and tobacco manufacturing companies. Following the Congressman's remarks, there will be a public forum featuring State Senator Charles Hawkins, and Delegates Whitt Clement, Ted Bennett, and Frank Ruff.
Rebecca Reeve, Program Manager for the Institute for Quality, UVA Health Services Foundation, is also on the schedule and will discuss the Southern Communities Tobacco Project, while Randolph A. Beales, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia, will speak on the National Community Trust Fund.

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - Fifth District Democrats unanimously  passed a motion expressing unhappiness with Rep. Virgil Goode's  conservative voting record.
''Mr. Goode is out of step and out of tune with the Democratic Party in this district,'' Carl Eggleston, the district's party chairman, said at a meeting Wednesday night of the 5th District Democratic Committee.
Goode was one of only five House Democrats to break with the party line and vote to impeach the president in December.

A recent Congressional Quarterly report said Goode voted against key Democratic issues 74 percent of the time.
Eggleston said if Goode does not begin voting like a Democrat at least most of the time, the congressman will face a ''rough road'' to re-election.
Some Democratic officials said they are ready to find another  candidate for Goode's seat.
''As far as we're concerned, Virgil Goode is out,'' said Aubrey Fane, chairman of the Charlotte County Democratic Committee.
Goode has declined to comment on the criticism or whether he will leave the Democratic Party.

An early morning break in a main water line feeding the Halifax County Industrial Park drained the 500,000 tank and interrupted some production Wednesday before South Boston crews could repair the line.
Alerted early Wednesday morning of the break by the town's 24-hour electronic monitoring system, the public works director knew the water tank at the industrial park "had dropped out of its prescribed range."
The break itself was in the marshy Lawson Creek bottom, and it would be almost 2:30 p.m. before the water would flow again, explained Cabell Carrington, South Boston director of Public Works.

The effect on industries in the park varied.
O'Sullivan's operation was only slightly affected, according to Steve Mand, Human Resources manager at the plant.
"Water is not integral to our equipment except for a few pieces," said Mand. "We were lucky."
Presto, whose operation includes high-temperature productions, "took its equipment down" as the water supply ended as a precautionary measure. With no water there was no fire sprinkler system, explained plant manager Wayne Conner.
Quick reaction at Presto also explained several portable toilet facilities set up in the plant's parking lot during the water cutoff period.
The main water line break occurred in pipe put in around 1968. "The water and maintenance crew plus help from the street department" was tapped to complete the repair, which included replacing about 15 feet of pipe, according to Carrington.
"As is always the case, you can't fix it fast enough and get it back on," said Carrington yesterday. "There are a lot of factors that influence the town's ability to get the water line repaired. Sometimes it goes real fast and sometimes it doesn't."
As crews labored in the bottom near Lawson Creek Bridge, the time frame was not as quick as had been hoped, a factor Carrington noted yesterday.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite a $50 million aid package last month, hundreds of pork producers are in danger of going out of business, industry leaders say.
They're hoping the government will ante up close to $500 million in additional cash.
''There are thousands of professional, efficient, conscientious pork producers who are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy through no fault of their own,'' Craig Jarolimek, vice president of the National Pork Producers Council, told the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday. ''Their lives remain in jeopardy.''

The government announced last month's multimillion dollar package in hopes of giving a boost to pork farmers, who have watched their prices drop to record lows in recent months. Hog farmers got as low as $8-$10 per hundredweight in December, compared to around $45 a year ago. That means a hog that used to bring in about $120 was worth just over $20.
The $50 million aid package was aimed at smaller producers, paying them $5 per hog on up to 500 animals taken to market.
Wednesday's proposal would give pork farmers direct payments of $50,000 and is aimed at helping larger producers left out of the first deal.

''The more hogs you marketed, the more hogs you lost,'' said Steven Cohen, an NPPC spokesman.
No exact formula for the payment proposal has been developed, officials said.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, speaking later before a House Appropriations subcommittee, said if Congress passed additional assistance for pork farmers, ''I'm sure we would support that.'' He said that while he recognized some farmers were left out of the package, USDA had only a limited amount of money to work with.
Earlier, an animal rights group protested giving any aid to pork producers.

Actor James Cromwell, star of ''Babe,'' urged Congress not to give money to pork producers.
''This cruelty is in effect subsidized through government support payments and government bailouts,'' Cromwell said.

Three single-vehicle wrecks kept Virginia State Police busy Tuesday evening.
A passenger riding in a 1993 Chevrolet two-door driven by Anna Maria Jones, 18, of Nathalie was injured in a 6:15 p.m. accident along Route 761 (Boxwood Road).
Louis Acosta, suffered minor injuries when Jones reportedly lost control and ran off the right side of Route 761 two-tenths of a mile east of Route 501 striking several trees. He was treated for minor injuries at Halifax Regional Hospital and released later that night.
Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5,000.
Investigating Trooper D.O. Cooper II charged Jones, who was not injured. with reckless driving.
Less than two hours later at 8 p.m., Mary Angela Comer, 21, of South Boston, lost control of the 1994 Ford coupe she was driving and ran off the right side of Route 658 (Cluster Springs Road), overcorrected, and then ran off the left side of the roadway striking a fence approximately 200 feet west of Route 797 (Traynham Grove Road).
Trooper Cooper's accident report indicated that the impact caused an estimated $200 damage to the fence, owned by Danny Jackson, while the vehicle sustained an estimated $2,000 in damages.
Cooper charged Comer with reckless driving.
A 16-year-old South Boston youth was also charged with reckless driving that evening.
Reports indicated that the youth, who was operating a 1994 Pontiac coupe, lost control of his vehicle around 8:30 p.m. while driving along Route 659 (River Road) and ran off the right side of the roadway striking a fence owned by Jesse Harris approximately 2.1 miles west of Route 682 (Berry Hill Road).
Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $4,000, while the fence sustained an estimated $300 in damages.
Investigating State Trooper D.T. Conner was in charge of the investigation.

Anthony Tony Easley of Baltimore, MD, formerly of Halifax died Saturday, February 6, 1999 at Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown, MD at the age of 33.
Mr. Easley was born in Washington, DC on October 7, 1965.
Survivors include his father, William Easley of Mt. Rainer, MD; one sister, Linda Harris of Halifax; three brothers, Rickey Easley of Alexandria, William Easley of Halifax and Ben Crews of Washington, DC; a devoted step-father, Cornelius Chalmers of Halifax.
Funeral services for Mr. Easley will be held Saturday, February 13 at 11 a.m. at New Mt. Olive Holiness Church in Halifax with Rev. Leonia Palmer officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Cornelius Chalmers, 1198 Crawford, Road, Halifax.

Flossie Freeman Pratt of Nathalie died Friday, February 5, 1999 at Woodview Nursing Home at the age of 96.
She was born in Halifax County.

Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mrs. Pratt will be held Saturday, February 13 at 2 p.m. at Ellis Creek Baptist Church with Rev. James Traynham officiating. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.

Dorothy Martin Lovelace of Halifax died Sunday, February 7, 1999 at Woodview Nursing Home at the age of 73.
She was born in Halifax County on December 28, 1925.
Survivors of Mrs. Lovelace include one daughter, Sheila Lovelace of Halifax; one granddaughter, Dana Dunaway of Halifax; two sisters, Florence Wood of Halifax and Arylice Edmondson of South Boston; three brothers, Beverly Martin of Maryland, Curtis Martin of New York and Charles Martin of Halifax.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 13 at 2 p.m. at Banister Hill Baptist Church with Rev. William Carr officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home of Sheila Lovelace, 3011 Crystal Hill Road, Halifax.

Frank Lee Jennings, 91, of 4222 Stagecoach Road, Nathalie died Monday, February 8, 1999 in Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Jennings was born in Halifax County on January 1, 1908 the son of Warner Roger Jennings and Catherine Black Jennings and was married to Maude Word Jennings. He was a member of New Second Buffalo Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Jerleen Hunter of the home and Mary Frances Jennings of Gaithersburg, MD; four granddaughters, Michelle Gilliam of Brookneal, Nicole Jennings of Gaithersburg, Lillian Miller of Atlanta, GA and Laura Miller of Bridgeport, CT.; three grandsons, Jeffrey Hunter of Gaithersburg, Bobby Miller of Lynchburg, and Raleigh Miller of Bridgeport; three sisters, Daisy Waller of Brookneal, Maude Boyd of Nathalie and Irene Keatts of Lynchburg; three sons-in-law, Albert Hunter of the home, Carroll Jennings of Nathalie and Bobby Miller Sr. of Bridgeport; one grandson-in-law, Tim Gilliam of Aspen; one granddaughter-in-law, Ada Miller; eight great-grandchildren; a devoted nephew and his wife, Lawrence and Sarah Boyd.
Funeral services for Mr. Jennings will be held Sunday, February 14 at 2 p.m. at New Second Buffalo Baptist Church with Rev. William M. Yancey conducting the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home. Viewing will be held at Daniel Funeral Home in Halifax on Saturday, February 13.

James Junior Patrick of Nathalie died Sunday, February 7, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital at the age of 43.
He was born in Wilmington, DE on May 20, 1955.
Survivors include one son, James Whitfield of Hurt; mother, Fannie Marie Patrick of Nathalie; father, Arthur Patrick of Chester, PA; five sisters, Ella Barbour, Deborah Patrick and Lisa Patrick of Nathalie, Doris Hall of Gretna and Oria Patrick of Chester; four brothers, Freddie Patrick and Otis Patrick, both of Nathalie, Ricky Patrick and William Patrick of Chester.
Funeral services for Mr. Patrick were held Thursday, February 11 at 2 p.m. at Republican Grove Baptist Church in Nathalie with Rev. L.S. Otey officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.