Another longtime name in North Carolina manufacturing is pulling back. Parkdale Mills plans to close its Lexington yarn factory on June 7, 2026, cutting 68 jobs as the Gastonia-based company continues to shrink its U.S. footprint.
According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Parkdale filed a WARN notice on April 9 listing the Lexington operation as a permanent closure, effective June 7, with 68 employees affected. The state keeps a public list of WARN notices that employers are required to file when they close or lay off workers.
The Lexington move follows a January WARN filing and the March shutdown of Parkdale’s Walnut Cove plant, which resulted in 72 job losses. As reported by WXII, that closure was signaled in state filings earlier this year.
Company Points To Climbing Energy Bills
In its filings and in local coverage, Parkdale has cited rapidly rising energy costs, arguing that those bills have made it economically unsustainable to keep smaller plants running. As reported by the Charlotte Observer, company officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the latest closure.
Century-Old Yarn Giant Keeps Slimming Down
Parkdale traces its roots to Gastonia more than a century ago and grew into one of the world’s largest spun-yarn producers, according to the company’s history page, which is detailed on Parkdale’s website…