By Alabama Public Radio
Rock Mills, AL – A Randolph County community is about to lose its only employer. Wehadkee Yarn Mills announced recently it will close its spinning operation in the community of Rock Mills. The facility is one of the state's oldest textile mills, and it will close permanently. The company plans to consolidate the Rock Mills Division with another Wehadkee plant in Talladega. Ninety employees worked at the spinning mill two years ago, but the company has been downsizing it since then. The remaining 45 workers will lose their jobs when the mill closes. Company officials say foreign competition and increased costs of raw materials are responsible for the shut down. The Wehadkee plant is the only employer in the Rock Mills community. About 676 people live there.