Fruit of the Loom said will relocate more than 270 apparel jobs from Alexander City and Monroeville in Alabama to its headquarters in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Positions affected include 218 Russell Corporation employees in Alexander City and 58 Vanity Fair Brands workers in Monroeville.
Fruit of the Loom acquired Russell in 2006 and Vanity Fair in 2007.
John Shivel, an FTL executive, confirmed The Daily Independent in Ashland, Kentucky, that the move was necessary to “streamline processes and control costs.”
The transition is expected to start within the next two months and be completed by December. The company plans to meet with employees to determine if they are interested in relocating to Bowling Green.
Russell Corporation and Vanity Fair were once economic powerhouses in their communities.
Local officials said Russell once employed 7,200 employees in Alexander City but that figure is now fewer than 1,500.
