Earlier this month, the Dalton-based company said it would close its Trenton facility, laying off 440 workers.

Shaw has released this statement:

In response to the continued weakening of the housing market and flooring retail, Shaw Industries Group, Inc. announces it is scaling back manufacturing volumes at several manufacturing facilities in Northwest Georgia.

These cutbacks will affect roughly three percent of the area workforce. Shaw is working to place affected employees at other facilities where needs exist.

The continued decline in the housing and retail markets has significantly reduced the overall demand for residential finishes such as flooring. Manufacturing schedules are being adjusted to reduce the volume of product being made so that inventories remain in line with the current customer demand. Shaw constantly monitors its production versus demand and adjusts production and staffing levels accordingly.

Shaw is working diligently to identify opportunities to place affected employees at other Shaw locations and will do its best to keep these good people with the company. Shaw will deploy its Central Hiring Office resources to focus efforts in order to help match up displaced associates with openings at other Shaw locations as they occur. Current market conditions, among other factors, make it difficult to predict how many displaced people may be successfully placed during the coming months. The Georgia Department of Labor will be on-site with counseling sessions to explain benefits, provide out-placement and retraining

Consumers typically make flooring purchases and install new products prior to Thanksgiving and the December holidays, with a subsequent downturn in demand into the following year. This historical buying trend affects the entire flooring industry and production schedules are always adjusted accordingly. The downturn this year came earlier and is more extreme than in years past. Shaw is taking appropriate steps based on current business conditions.

Walker County Messenger