BY STEPHEN H. COWLES/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Playback58@gmail.com

FRANKLIN—The closing date for Money Mailer has not yet been announced, Jeanne Stanley, vice president of Human Resources for Money Mailer, said Tuesday.

Money Mailer on Sept. 18 indicated it would close its doors in Pretlow Industrial Park in Franklin, eliminating 100 jobs

Based in Garden Grove, Calif., the company is a direct mail and printing company with a production facility there and in Franklin.

Gov. Mark Warner on Feb. 26, 2003, announced Money Mailer’s plans to open a facility here, said Amanda Jarratt, president and chief executive officer for Franklin Southampton Economic Development Inc.

The company received a $225,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance provided workforce training.

Jarratt added that the expected capital investment was $8.5 million, but ended up being $8.2 million.

Further, 160 jobs were originally expected.

In 2009 the City of Franklin was asked to pay $37,200 to the state because Money Mailer hadn’t hired enough employees within an allotted time, she said. In turn, the company repaid the city on Dec. 3 of that year.

Both Jarratt and H. Taylor Williams, city attorney, said that to the best of their knowledge, there would be no penalties on the company for leaving.

Resources will be made available to help the employees find new work, Jarratt said. A new tenant is being sought.

Randy Betz, vice president of Workforce Development at Paul D. Camp Community College, said help would be available to employees.

“We’ve been down this road before because of the economic downturn,” Betz said.