BY MICHAEL BOSTIAN
SALISBURY POST

SPENCER — More than 200 pieces of machinery from the defunct Color-Tex plant on U.S. 29 North is for sale from Atkins Machinery, according to the South Carolina-company’s Web site.

The equipment is part of a liquidation sale from the former Color-Tex plant.

Workers spent part of Wednesday removing more machinery and other items from the plant.

But this time, they weren’t alone.

A handful of former employees were on hand to watch and express their displeasure that certain precautions were not being taken to ensure safety.

The workers are concerned about the dangers from fire and hazardous chemicals that remain inside the former N.C. Finishing Co.

Wednesday was the latest episode in the saga surrounding the Spencer plant that closed last October without notice to employees or suppliers.

In June, state labor officials reopened an investigation into claims that many of the 300 workers are still owed past wages and 401(k) investments.

Two weeks ago, Rowan County foreclosed on the Color-Tex plant and is trying to force the sale of assets to recover taxes and interest that were never paid. The main asset is 200 acres of land on U.S. 29 near the Yadkin River.

Robert Rowland, county tax assessor, said that in his experience, companies that go bankrupt will have a liquidation sale and pay off the key lien holders. Then, the money is doled out until it’s gone.

Though the company filed for bankruptcy protection, a federal bankruptcy judge dismissed the case.

Under state law, the county lien of $235,000 would be the first paid.

Robert Atkins, owner of Atkins Machinery, said his company is removing and selling only the equipment and have nothing to do with the property or physical building that the county holds a lien on.

County Attorney John Holshouser could no be reached for comment.

Atkins has been working at the Color-Tex location for about 90 days and will continue to work until the owners — the ownership also remains a matter of dispute — are satisfied with the amount of equipment sold. Only a couple of pieces have been sold thus far, Atkins said.

Norman Beaver, president of Local 440T of the United Food and Commercial Workers International, the union that has paid him to monitor events at the plant, said the eight union workers who showed up Wednesday were not protesting the work going on inside. They are just worried about surrounding communities and feel slighted because they haven’t seen any of the money owed to them.

“I understand the fire department won’t come in if there is a fire,” Roy Vaker, a 12-year employee of the former North Carolina Finishing company. “That tells me it’s a dangerous situation.”

Wayne Ashworth, county director of emergency response services, has previously said that because there is no water or electricity at the plant, emergency workers will not enter the building if a fire breaks out. They would only fight it from outside.

Beaver knew of one big piece of machinery and several small tools that were removed Wednesday morning. In addition, as the union members watched, security guards allowed a U-Haul truck inside the gate to remove some cardboard tubes purchased by an unknown buyer from Atkins Machinery.

Beaver said he hasn’t seen many items being sold yet. They have been working for a month taking inventory and pricing each piece.

Atkins said his company won’t remove any machinery until it is sold.

Beaver has received high praise from the workers for keeping an eye on the site. But he is equally as glad the union workers are still interested in what is happening —a year after the sudden closing.

“It says something about our people that they are still here,”Beaver said.

David Rhea of Patriarch Partners, the group that holds the debt to the Color-Tex plant, said he had no comment on the equipment removal.

Contact Michael Bostian at 704-797-4280 or mbostian@salisburypost.com .