Danville Tobacco Plant to Close

Source from:  The Associated Press 12/16/2005

Universal Corp. will close its tobacco processing plant in Danville and consolidate its flue-cured and burley processing near Rocky Mount. The news will bring to an end tobacco processing in Danville and a 125-year history of the company and its predecessors in the city. Universal's operations in Danville are expected to close before year's end. Universal two years ago opened a 1.2 million-square-foot plant in Nash County, hailing it as the largest leaf-processing operation in the world. The 870,000-square-foot Danville plant employed 77 full-time workers and 325 seasonal hourly employees. Enditem