Clinton Electronics Plant To Lay Off 250 Workers

Sanmina, Sampson County's seventh largest manufacturing company and maker of electronics parts, plans to close its Clinton plant Oct. 1. Executives say the facility costs more money to run than it brings in, so, they are moving the jobs to Mexico and to other sites in the United States.

Don Herring stamps parts for the company. He says he does not know how far he will have to go to find a new job where his skills are needed.

"It's tough, it's real tough," Herring said. "It's a struggle all day to go and work knowing that it's coming to an end right shortly."

Herring is not alone.

Roughly 220 full-time employees and 30 part-time employees will end up out of work -- a shot to them and to the community. The city of Clinton has about 9,000 people; Sampson County has about 63,000 residents.

"And there's obviously a concern losing those folks to outside of our community," said Clinton City Manager John Connet. "You lose sales tax; you lose all the intrinsic stuff you get from having that many jobs in our community."

For Herring, losing his job is hard for him to believe. He has only worked at Sanmina for a year -- and is now back looking for a job.

He says he would like "closure" -- just not this kind.

The company also has three plants in Raleigh, but officials said they are not laying off workers at those sites.