Historic textile mill near Charlotte closes another NC plant, laying off over 70
Parkdale Mills, an historic yarn manufacturer based in Gastonia, is shutting down a facility in Stokes County and laying off over 70 people.
The century-old manufacturer filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) report on Jan. 13, notifying the state and employees that its factory in Walnut Cove will close on March 13. Walnut Cove is about 100 miles north of Charlotte.
Due to the closure, 72 people will be laid off.
In the report, Parkdale Mills said the mill closure and layoffs are due to increasing energy costs that have led to a decline in its “economic environment,” creating an “unsustainable business model.”
Parkdale officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.
The manufacturer cited the same reason for its Lee County plant closure in 2024. There, 74 people were laid off.
Parkdale Mills is one of Stokes County’s largest private employers and corporate property taxpayers, according to the Greensboro News & Record. The closing comes on the heels of an approved, but contentious, rezoning request to allow a 1,845-acre plot to become a proposed mulitbillion-dollar data center.
The rezoning is near Parkdale’s facility, according to the newspaper.
About Parkdale Mills
Parkdale was chartered by investors in Gastonia in 1916. Two years later, it opened its first plant in the city.
From there, it grew to be one of the world’s largest manufacturer of spun yarns. At one point, the company had 29 plants in the US, Mexico and South America, employing over 4,500 workers, according to the Parkdale Mills website.
But in the past decade, Parkdale closed numerous plants, news outlets reported.
It’s Boonville plant in Yadkin County was shut down in 2018, which resulted in 63 layoffs. And the year before, 97 people were laid off at Parkdale’s Williamston plant in Martin County.
In 2020, Parkdale shut down a Rowan County mill, laying off 94 workers.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 5:22 AM.
