Midlands workers hit as spectrum, medical plant closes in SC layoff wave

If you work in manufacturing, logistics or defense in the Columbia area, the latest round of South Carolina layoffs hits close to home.

Charter Communications, the cable operator behind Spectrum, is set to permanently close its Lexington facility on May 7. The closure will force 62 employees to find new jobs, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

Separately, KPR US, LLC, a subsidiary of Cardinal Health that specializes in manufacturing and distributing medical devices, will permanently close its location in Kershaw on May 29 and plans to lay off at least 23 employees.

Those two closures are among eight newly reported company shutdowns across the state. In all, 17 SC companies have notified more than 1,300 employees so far this year that they have been laid off, according to the latest report from the SC Department of Employment and Workforce. Hundreds have already been forced to find new employment.

Manufacturing, logistics and defense sectors all affected

The layoffs stretch across industries that employ thousands of Midlands and Lowcountry workers.

In Berkeley County, Textron Systems Corporation plans to shrink its operations by laying off 58 of its workers between May 21 and Aug. 14. The company is best known for its innovative defense, government and aerospace technologies and services.

First Brands Group, LLC (AVM), a global automotive parts giant, notified 64 employees on Feb. 23 that it is permanently closing its Marion plant by April 30, after the company announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2025.

Parsec, LLC, an Ohio-based rail terminal management company, notified 39 SC laborers on Feb. 23 that its North Charleston logistics operation would permanently close on May 1.

ABM Industry Groups, LLC, notified 122 employees at its Charleston location on April 7 that they will have to find new jobs. The industrial services company started laying off workers on April 13 and will continue doing so until July 7.

Industrial Plastics Group, LLC, which operates a Pickens plastic manufacturing plant, notified and laid off 74 employees on April 10.

C2 Technologies, a Virginia-based global training company for defense, civilian and commercial industries, laid off 1 person on March 6 and only gave the employee four days’ notice.

Earlier closures already displaced hundreds

The SC Dept. of Employment and Workforce reported hundreds of layoffs and several closures in early February.

Milliken intends to close its Cedar Hill plant in Jonesville, laying off 126 people from April through the end of August. Milliken makes broadwoven cotton fabric and broadwoven wool fabric at the mill.

In Duncan, Saddle Creek Logistics Services closed its operations, laying off 130 people in March. The company owns distribution facilities across the nation and employs around 5,000 people.

James Hardie Building Products, a worldwide siding company, closed its Summerville location. In total, 78 employees were laid off when the facility shut down in March.

eREV Supply Chain and DLH Solutions, both located at the same address in Charleston, laid off 327 people total by the end of February.

The International Paper Plant in Georgetown is set to start closing at the beginning of May and will be permanently shut down by the end of the year. With the container plant’s closure, 126 workers will be impacted.

Koppers Inc. will close its Florence facility on April 21, which will force 66 employees to find new jobs.

JeniusBank had a statewide layoff of three individuals. The company offers online banking services in 39 states.

What the law says about layoff notice

If you are worried about your own job, it helps to know what protections exist.

Since 1988, when Congress passed the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, companies must provide information on layoffs at least 60 days in advance to allow workers to have time to prepare for a layoff.

That 60-day window is meant to give workers time to look for new employment, seek retraining or make financial plans. The U.S. Department of Labor has compliance assistance materials to help workers and employers understand their rights and responsibilities under the provisions of WARN.

Not every company in the latest round followed that timeline. C2 Technologies gave its employee only four days’ notice before the layoff took effect on March 6.

South Carolina’s economy is experiencing rapid growth and has provided millions of people with jobs in automotive manufacturing, construction, aerospace and much more. However, some companies are facing financial hardships that are insurmountable — and the closures listed above show that even growing regions are not immune to job losses.

For workers in the Midlands, the Lexington and Kershaw closures are the most immediate concern, with deadlines of May 7 and May 29 respectively.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.