Hanesbrands plans to close nine plants worldwide

25 Sep '08

5 min read

Hanesbrands Inc announced continued progress in executing its consolidation and globalization cost-reduction strategy, which includes increasing production in Asia.

The latest supply chain streamlining, expected to be completed by the end of summer 2009, will consolidate production through nine plant closures in five countries in the Western Hemisphere, affecting approximately 8,100 employees. It also will complete the migration of the company's large knit-fabric textile production from the United States.

"We are making significant progress in expanding our supply chain production capability in Asia and consolidating into fewer, larger facilities located in lower-cost countries around the world," Hanesbrands Chief Executive Officer Richard A. Noll said. "Globalizing our supply chain, and eventually balancing production between Asia and the Western Hemisphere, is a critical plank in our strategic efforts to reduce costs, improve product flow and increase our competitiveness."

By the end of 2008, Hanesbrands is expected to substantially close seven plants - a sewing plant in El Salvador, affecting 2,600 employees; a sewing plant in Honduras, affecting 1,250 employees; a sewing plant in Costa Rica, affecting 1,250 employees; and two yarn plants, a knit-fabric textile plant and an inventory storage warehouse in the United States, affecting 745 employees.

By the end of summer 2009, the company expects to also close a sewing plant in Mexico, affecting 1,650 employees, and close its last large knit-fabric textile plant in the United States, affecting 600 employees.

Hanesbrands expects to incur restructuring and related charges for these nine plant actions, including severance and contract termination costs, accelerated depreciation of fixed assets and inventory write-offs, totaling approximately $76 million, of which approximately two-thirds are expected to be incurred in the third quarter of 2008. With these charges, Hanesbrands will have taken approximately $204 million out of the $250 million in restructuring charges the company has said it expects to incur in the three years following the spinoff.

"In addition to improving cost competitiveness, these moves will lay the foundation for completing our Asia build out and improve the alignment of our sewing operations with our end-state flow of textiles," said Gerald Evans, Hanesbrands president, chief global supply chain officer. "We regret that employees will be affected by this production streamlining, but our supply chain globalization is necessary to strengthen our overall company and keep us competitive around the world."

The textile production from the latest closings will be absorbed into existing textile plants in Central America. Hanesbrands has expanded its fabric production capability offshore in the Western Hemisphere. The company has reached planned fabric production levels at its textile facilities in the Dominican Republic andEl Salvador, with further expansion planned in Central America.

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