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Published: October 31, 2009
End of an era
The announcement this week that Hanesbrands Inc. will end its manufacturing presence in Forsyth County was inevitable, but that doesn't make the news any easier to take for the 240 employees who will lose their jobs. The announcement, one of the last steps in this region's long and illustrious manufacturing era, should have our leaders strengthening their efforts to attract high-tech businesses of all sizes.
The affected workers can apply for jobs at the company's local distribution centers and its last remaining manufacturing plant in the state, in Mount Airy. That, however, is scant comfort.
Thousands of people were once employed by Hanesbrands' predecessor companies, Hanes Corp. and Sara Lee Corp., in plants throughout Northwest North Carolina, as the Winston-Salem Journal's Richard Craver noted. By the end of 2010, when Hanesbrands completes the closing of its Weeks hosiery plant on Hanes Mill Road and two other restructuring changes announced earlier this year, the company will have about 2,500 overall employees in Forsyth, mainly in the corporate headquarters in Winston-Salem, and 3,785 statewide.
In announcing the latest closing, Hanesbrands officials cited lower consumer demand for sheer-hosiery production. The attraction of low-cost labor overseas and the economic downtown probably also figured in the decision.
There is a bit of good news: Hanesbrands' corporate headquarters stays in Winston-Salem. And officials say that the closing of the Weeks plant will not affect the research, product-development, quality-control and engineering operations there. A total of 200 employees work in those operations.
Those jobs, along with many others from companies yet to be landed, are vital for maintaining the regional economy. The days are long gone when we can depend on a few large, longstanding companies to be our anchors.
A Medicare warning
Old Vineyard Youth Services, a major provider of mental-health care in the area, faces trouble from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The state's problem-plagued mental-health-care system depends on local programs such as Old Vineyard. But Old Vineyard has until Nov. 8 to resolve a compliance issue with the federal agency or face termination of its provider agreement. That would mean that Medicare wouldn't make payments to Old Vineyard for new inpatient services after next Saturday. The facility might have to turn away patients.
Officials aren't saying much about what's behind the compliance issue. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that its investigation was prompted by a complaint and is concentrated "on a particular incident involving delivering quality health care and/or a safe environment." Old Vineyard says that a problem was discovered in a recent survey and has been dealt with, and it's working with the federal agency to demonstrate that it's in compliance with Medicare rules.
The N.C. Division of Medical Assistance is conducting a program review of Old Vineyard.
Old Vineyard wants to open a 24-hour psychiatric-emergency department in Forsyth County. This region needs more programs to help the mentally ill, but they must deliver the best in patient care. Old Vineyard should ensure that it is doing that by resolving its problems with the federal centers.
A final save
A good-news story this week that charmed several readers was the one about the state ferry captain, about to retire, who led the rescue of five men whose skiff had overturned in Ocracoke Inlet last week.
"At first, I thought it might be a reflection," Donald Austin told The Virginian-Pilot. "So I kept on moving. We got closer. That's when we hit them with the spotlight, and that's when we seen them."
Two crew members launched the ferry's rescue vessel and, within 20 minutes, had the men from Burlington in the heated lounge of the ferry named "Silver Lake."
Austin, who said that the men were "highlanders" on a fishing trip, retired Monday at the ripe old age of 54. That should give him plenty of time for travel. If his car ever breaks down beside Interstate 85 in Burlington, maybe the "highlanders" will get a chance to return the favor.
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