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Altavista, VA -
Another blow to the economy in Altavista. BGF Industries is laying off 85 workers at its plant there. Management says business is down about 40 percent compared to last year.
They've already been through so much there, from Lane Company's shutdown to layoffs at a number of other factories. So this is nothing new for Altavista, but it's getting harder for folks to keep bouncing back.
You don't have to go far from BGF's plant to know how this round of layoffs will affect Altavista. Just stop by the Chef's Dine-In a few blocks away.
Tim Thacker, Altavista Resident - "BGF is getting ready to lay off--my brother works there, most my family works there and with the Lane Company gone and everything else--this town is going away to nothing."
Amanda Dawson, Waitress - "My mom works at BGF and there's always a possibility that she could get laid off so that's not good."
It's not good for the diner either—the waitresses have noticed their tips shrinking.
Nellie Slusser, Chef's Dine-In Waitress for 24 years - "Not very good--not at all, it really hurts."
As the customers will tell you, BGF is just the latest company in a long list of layoffs.
Thacker - "It wouldn't be so bad if this was the first time it happened, but we're talking about the last two or three years losing hundreds and thousands of jobs."
And now everyone in town, no matter their line of work is feeling the effects.
James Thomas and Corrie Thacker, Altavista Residents -"People aren't spending money because they don't have it--I see it dwindles down to my business too--I'm in the home improvement business and they're not going to work on their homes if they don't have a job to pay for it."
Thacker - "I run a computer store and people aren't buying new computers, they're getting old computer fixed instead of spending money to buy new computers--so that affects my business."
Now thoughts turn to the next generation.
Dawson - "I have a baby and that worries me because what's it going to be like 15 years down the road?"
Slusser - "I really don't know, I wish we did have an answer, but I don't have an answer."
In a company statement, BGF says they are optimistic about the future. They're continuing to develop new products and they expect business to get better by the end of the year, but not at the same levels as years past.
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