News 12 at 6 O'Clock, August 28, 2009.

JENKINS COUNTY -- For decades, Cavalier homes has made mobile homes. Not anymore. They have merged with Southern Energy Homes and will close the plant in Millen. 104 workers from office personnel to builders are out of a job. In a company release, they say it is in response to the housing market and economy.

The statement from Cavalier Homes President and CEO Bobby Tesney:

"We appreciate the support that our team members and retailers have provided over the years and value their continued business. Accordingly, our sales teams will be working together to offer options for providing product from other company facilities. We will continue to build homes for the market by offering sales from other facilities."

Noticeably absent from the statement is a response to the employees and their families. 12 On Your Side made calls to Tesney's office and cell phone. Neither were returned.

We did receive emails from employees of the plant wanting to remain anonymous.

"This plant closing will now make Millen, GA a ghost town."

Also:

"There are employees at this plant that have worked here since 1969 and now have no hopes of getting another job in Jenkins County due to the lack of work."

July unemployment was near 22 percent in Jenkins County. That's already the highest in Georgia. This won't help.

But there is some welcome news for those employees. They'll receive full pay and benefits for two months. That's because the company didn't give a federally required 60-day notice of the layoffs.

The closing hurts an already fragile town that recently dealt with closings of two other major job providers: MI Windows and Doors and Jockey International. Hundreds of job losses resulted from those as well.