Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
| Name | Color FI | |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | Longtime manufacturer Color-Fi closes Sumter doors Former Gissing North America, or Color-Fi, employees stand outside the facility this week near an S.C. Works van after the facility abruptly closed last week. CAL CARY / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Saturday, November 5, 2022 6:00 am BY BRUCE MILLS AND CAL CARY bruce@theitem.com cal@theitem.com A longtime Sumter industrial employer has closed, forcing 108 people to the unemployment line. Gissing North America, formerly known as Color-Fi, at 320 Neeley St., off South Guignard Drive, has closed after the Michigan-based company recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to a letter mailed to employees from a corporate human resources official. The Sumter operation's last day of business was about one week ago, on Friday, Oct. 28, and local employees received only one day of notice, according to the letter and many workers on site this week, who were receiving unemployment benefits information from S.C. Works. In the termination letter to employees, Gissing North America Chief Human Resources Officer Jessica Roast said the closure was permanent and that the company could not give advance notice, per federal law, because of "business circumstances not reasonably foreseeable at the time." "In addition, the company was actively seeking capital and business necessary to allow the facility to remain open at the time that 60-day notice would have been required," Roast wrote, "and giving notice at that time would have precluded the company from obtaining the needed capital and business." This week, local facility human resources representative Bobbie Beasley told The Sumter Item that Roast was "not willing to give a statement at this time." The Sumter facility goes back to the mid-1980s and was also formerly known as Formed Fiber Technologies. As of this week, Color-Fi was still listed as a top-10 industrial employer in Sumter County with the Sumter Economic Development office. Topping that list is Continental Tire with about 1,300 jobs. According to numerous online news reports, Gissing North America filed for bankruptcy protection nearly three months ago on Aug. 8. The manufacturer supplies acoustic solutions comprising drivetrain and thermal, overhead, exterior, cargo management, carpet and interior acoustic systems to BMW, Ford, GM, Nissan, Toyota and Honda, among other brands. The Sumter facility produced its solution-dyed polyester staple fiber. Apparently, corporate officials never directly informed local employees of the bankruptcy, according to plant workers. "They called a meeting last week and sent us a letter about the bankruptcy," said Malachi Green, who had been with Color-Fi for 12 years. "Some people have been here for 20, 30 years. They could have handled it better. There were telling signs of bankruptcy, like no more trash pickup, and they let the custodian go." The local S.C. Works Center, based at 31 E. Calhoun St. in the downtown area, was on site Wednesday through Friday, trying to help displaced workers with unemployment insurance and other resources, according to S.C. Works Operations Manager Ray Jackson. He added most employees were machine operators, production workers or worked in shipping and receiving. Sumter and the greater region have numerous manufacturers as an industry base and an ideal scenario could be for workers to find similar job opportunities in the sector, he said. http://opcbanners2.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ck.php?n=ab522bec&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE' target='_blank'> In June 2021, Gissing North America announced an $18.7 million capital investment and 116 new jobs in Greenville County. That facility was initially projected to open this year but has not, according to an Upstate business official who had arranged for the manufacturer to become a tenant in a Fountain Inn business park. "No, they have not moved, and I don't know if they ever will," said Dillon Swayngim of Colliers, an industrial real estate firm with offices in Greenville. Gissing is headquartered in Wuxi, China, and the company's subsidiary, Gissing North America, is based in Bingham Farms, Michigan. [1] | |
| HIST | Longtime manufacturer Color-Fi closes Sumter doors Former Gissing North America, or Color-Fi, employees stand outside the facility this week near an S.C. Works van after the facility abruptly closed last week. CAL CARY / THE SUMTER ITEM Posted Saturday, November 5, 2022 6:00 am BY BRUCE MILLS AND CAL CARY bruce@theitem.com cal@theitem.com A longtime Sumter industrial employer has closed, forcing 108 people to the unemployment line. Gissing North America, formerly known as Color-Fi, at 320 Neeley St., off South Guignard Drive, has closed after the Michigan-based company recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to a letter mailed to employees from a corporate human resources official. The Sumter operation's last day of business was about one week ago, on Friday, Oct. 28, and local employees received only one day of notice, according to the letter and many workers on site this week, who were receiving unemployment benefits information from S.C. Works. In the termination letter to employees, Gissing North America Chief Human Resources Officer Jessica Roast said the closure was permanent and that the company could not give advance notice, per federal law, because of "business circumstances not reasonably foreseeable at the time." "In addition, the company was actively seeking capital and business necessary to allow the facility to remain open at the time that 60-day notice would have been required," Roast wrote, "and giving notice at that time would have precluded the company from obtaining the needed capital and business." This week, local facility human resources representative Bobbie Beasley told The Sumter Item that Roast was "not willing to give a statement at this time." The Sumter facility goes back to the mid-1980s and was also formerly known as Formed Fiber Technologies. As of this week, Color-Fi was still listed as a top-10 industrial employer in Sumter County with the Sumter Economic Development office. Topping that list is Continental Tire with about 1,300 jobs. According to numerous online news reports, Gissing North America filed for bankruptcy protection nearly three months ago on Aug. 8. The manufacturer supplies acoustic solutions comprising drivetrain and thermal, overhead, exterior, cargo management, carpet and interior acoustic systems to BMW, Ford, GM, Nissan, Toyota and Honda, among other brands. The Sumter facility produced its solution-dyed polyester staple fiber. Apparently, corporate officials never directly informed local employees of the bankruptcy, according to plant workers. "They called a meeting last week and sent us a letter about the bankruptcy," said Malachi Green, who had been with Color-Fi for 12 years. "Some people have been here for 20, 30 years. They could have handled it better. There were telling signs of bankruptcy, like no more trash pickup, and they let the custodian go." The local S.C. Works Center, based at 31 E. Calhoun St. in the downtown area, was on site Wednesday through Friday, trying to help displaced workers with unemployment insurance and other resources, according to S.C. Works Operations Manager Ray Jackson. He added most employees were machine operators, production workers or worked in shipping and receiving. Sumter and the greater region have numerous manufacturers as an industry base and an ideal scenario could be for workers to find similar job opportunities in the sector, he said. http://opcbanners2.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ck.php?n=ab522bec&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE' target='_blank'> In June 2021, Gissing North America announced an $18.7 million capital investment and 116 new jobs in Greenville County. That facility was initially projected to open this year but has not, according to an Upstate business official who had arranged for the manufacturer to become a tenant in a Fountain Inn business park. "No, they have not moved, and I don't know if they ever will," said Dillon Swayngim of Colliers, an industrial real estate firm with offices in Greenville. Gissing is headquartered in Wuxi, China, and the company's subsidiary, Gissing North America, is based in Bingham Farms, Michigan. | |
| _UID | 34EE05431ADF4701A110754D5520F183074B | |
| _UID | 34EE05431ADF4701A110754D5520F183074B | |
| Person ID | I338870 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 24 Nov 2022 | |
| Family | COLOR-FI | |
| _UID | CB7B31F9D73B461F913AD9C6352072ACC47E | |
| _UID | CB7B31F9D73B461F913AD9C6352072ACC47E | |
| Family ID | F226227 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified | 24 Nov 2022 | |
| Sources |
|
