TIFTON — Exopack, a manufacturing company located in Tifton’s Industrial Park which produces packaging products, will lay off 17 of their employees on Monday.

Jerry Ferguson, spokesman for the company, told The Gazette on Thursday that the lay offs were a result of the company having to consolidate their workforce. “We will go from running two lines to running one line,” Ferguson said. “And as a result of that we will have a slight reduction in the workforce.”

Ferguson said the changes had been brought about by market demand. “In our business, market demands change. So instead of running two machines, we will be running one machine,” he said.

“We have an excellent work force in Tifton,” Ferguson said. He said the Tifton facility would continue to be an important part of their company and the company’s long term strategy.

Exopack’s Tifton facility has approximately 280 employees and produces multi-wall packaging for industrial use. Exopack is a leading supplier of paper and plastic packaging and has 10 facilities across the United States, with headquarters in Spartanburg, S.C.

To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.