Putting this Lizzie Thing in Perspective

Today all of Fall River was in a tizzie. WSAR, 1480, radio talked at length about the story of the new Lizzie exhibit coming soon to Salem. They were mostly upset about it. They bad mouthed the Fall River Historical Society. They talked about Lizzie Borden as if they owned her.

The Fall River Herald ran a front page story on the new Salem stop. Again, mostly negative. Full of quotes by notables who say that Lizzie should stay in Fall River.

The television stations in the evening piped in, doing some man-on-the-street interviews about the new place. Again, mostly negative. Oh, and the owner of the Lizzie Borden B&B hated the idea too, which is her prerogative. Do I hear free publicity? Lots of free publicity?

Anyway, then this story appeared late in the day. Sort of puts it all in perspective. Just my two cents, but maybe Fall River could concern itself with the living, more than the dead.

Another city textile company closing shop

By John Moss
Herald News Staff Reporter Posted Jul 31, 2008 @ 06:37 PM
Fall River —CHF Industries, which has employed thousands since opening its doors as Louis Hand Inc. more than six decades ago, will close by the end of the year. “It is with great sadness that I announce the closing of the CHF Industries’ Fall River facility by the end of 2008,” Plant Manager Norm Sorel said in a Thursday e-mail to his associates on the Chamber of Commerce and Industry board of directors.

All volume from the Fall River warehouse will be transferred to a much larger CHF facility in Loris, S.C., Sorel said.

About 115 employees will be displaced due to the closing, he said. Most of them have 20 to 40 years of service.

“It will be the end of a wonderful era in the lives of many people and for the City of Fall River,” Sorel said. CHF opened its doors in 1945 as Louis Hand Inc. curtain factory, eventually employing more than 600 people and becoming one of the world’s largest curtain manufacturers.

Sorel said the displaced workers include forklift operators, warehouse employees, material handlers, quality inspectors, order pickers and packers, former stitchers, warehouse/shipping supervisors, office and management personnel.
“These employees are known throughout the company and the industry for possessing a tremendous work ethic and sacrificing their personal lives to meet the needs of CHF Industries and its customers,” Sorel said. “Their main focus each day was continuous improvement, reducing costs, improving quality and providing world class service to CHF customers.”

The permanent layoff plan for the employees is 70 percent of the work force during the last week of September, 20 percent during the final week of October and the remaining 10 percent at year’s end.
CHF began reducing its workforce earlier this year, leaving about 90 employees jobless.

The textile manufacturer stopped making curtains at the Pleasant Street plant in March.

It continued to supply warehousing and distribution processes along with other support functions from the facility.

This is the city’s second landmark textile manufacturer to close within a year.

Last summer, Fall River suffered a dramatic loss of manufacturing jobs when Quaker Fabric went bankrupt after decades as one of the city’s largest employers.

A total of 930 workers lost their jobs from a work force that once neared 3,000.
CHF, a national firm headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., bought Aberdeen Manufacturing — formerly Louis Hand — in 1979.

The 450,000-square-foot mill had been in use as a curtain manufacturing company for the past 63 years.

Sorel asked fellow directors that if they have available positions for any of the displaced workers, to contact CHF Human Resource Director Tony Simoes at 508-730-4289.