STAUNTON -- About 145 workers will lose their jobs when textiles manufacturer Unifi closes its Staunton facility in September.

The yarn maker will consolidate the Staunton operations at its Yadkinville, N.C., plant.

Chief financial officer Ron Smith says overhead costs and an increase in freight fees fueled the decision to close the plant.

Formerly operated under the Fiberspun name, the plant has been a Staunton staple since the 1960s. Downsizing in the 1990s shrank the staff from 500 to fewer than 200.

Workers are being offered a chance to relocate to the North Carolina facility.

-- The Associated Press