WINNSBORO – Several conflicting statements were issued Tuesday concerning the future of Healthcare SC LLC. According to a statement issued to Fairfield County by the S.C. Department of Employment and workforce, the company that operated the MLILY mattress manufacturing plant destroyed by fire earlier this month, will permanently close its Winnsboro facility, leaving 254 Fairfield County employees without jobs.
The company filed a WARN notice with the SCDEW announcing the closure of the facility at 1 Mlily Way. According to the notice, the closure is effective Aug. 16, the day the massive fire broke out at the plant. The 254 affected employees will be terminated no later than Aug. 28, according to the statement.
A spokesperson for Healthcare SC, however, issued the following statement to The Voice at 7:58 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25, indicating that the company is “actively evaluating options for rebuilding and resuming operations in Fairfield County.”
“We are deeply grateful to the firefighters and emergency responders whose tireless work contained and extinguished the fire at our Winnsboro facility. Our hearts are with our team members and the Winnsboro community as we work through this difficult time together.
We are actively evaluating options for rebuilding and resuming operations in Fairfield County, and we are committed to supporting affected employees through this transition, including participating in the Sept. 2 job fair alongside state and local officials.
The community that welcomed us when we opened our doors has rallied around one another in the wake of tragedy, a reflection of the strength and character of Winnsboro and Fairfield County. Healthcare SC will continue working with the appropriate agencies, community leaders, and stakeholders as we evaluate the path forward, and we will share more as those discussions progress.“
The HR manager of Healthcare SC, LLC, Katrina L. Williams, said in a statement to SCDEW on Aug. 21, “Though the future of the facility is uncertain at this time, We anticipate Healthcare SC will be closed for more than six months due to the extent of the damage.”
The approximately 650,000-square-foot Healthcare SC manufacturing facility, located off U.S. 321 south of Winnsboro, manufactured MLILY memory foam mattresses. The fire, which burned for almost three days, destroyed virtually the entire manufacturing plant.
Even before receiving the company’s WARN notice, DEW officials said the agency had begun working to assist employees displaced by the fire.
The agency’s Rapid Response team contacted Healthcare SC’s human resources director and provided information and resources for affected employees, including access to its Rapid Response Virtual Engagement Center. DEW is also providing assistance through SC Works Centers.
As part of that effort, a Dislocated Worker Job Fair will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1851 U.S. 321 Bypass North in Winnsboro.
The job fair will bring together employers from throughout the Midlands that are currently hiring. While the event is being organized in response to the MLILY plant closure and the hundreds of workers who suddenly lost their jobs, the job fair is open to the public.
DEW’s Career Coach mobile unit will also be on site. According to DEW, the mobile unit is being made available to provide additional assistance with filing claims and conducting job searches. The job fair announcement says the Career Coach will also be able to print resumes on site.
Those attending the job fair are encouraged to bring an updated resume, dress appropriately for meeting prospective employers and be prepared to speak directly with employers about available jobs.
This story was updated at 11:20 p.m., Tuesday, August. 25.