A Biddeford textile mill this week laid off roughly 20% of its workforce because of lagging sales.
WestPoint Home, which manufactures Vellux blankets, laid off 42 employees on Monday, the Portland Press Herald reported today. A spokesperson for the company, the last textile mill in downtown Biddeford, told the paper it has been hard to compete with cheaper Chinese manufacturers.
City officials are working with the mill owners to save money by reducing energy costs for the 650,000-square-foot facility, the paper said.