I think North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is still partly responsible for the huge losses of textile jobs in America. Since 1994 when NAFTA was implemented, South Carolina has had more than 90,211 textile related job losses (article
here).
I worked in one of those textile mills in Virginia when the plant closings started en mass in NC, and then the one where I worked was targeted for shut-down as well, so I got myself into community college then university, and it has been an incredible life changing experience. It was financially a struggle at times, but I came out the other side a teacher and my income has far exceeded what I would have EVER made had I stayed in my textile job! Plus the further education and the experiences were amazing and just what I needed to snap out of my day-to-day robotic existence as a textile worker!! (Although I realize that this particular Greenville company is "textile machinery" so maybe their wages are pretty decent compared to the average textile machine operator..?).
When factories close like this, the employees generally get offered affordable educational opportunities (was that way in the 90's at least), so maybe something good will end up coming from this although I know that for all those textile folks in Greenville, it seems pretty scary right now. Like I said, I've been there, so I know exactly how they feel. I wish them the best.