Donna and Rickie Hughes show their joy at the announcement that the the former King Mill will reopen under the new ownership.They plan to apply to work at the new factory JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

''Oh Lord, I'm excited,'' she said Thursday after hearing that Standard Textile of Cincinnati has purchased the plant's equipment and machinery and will resume operations by June 11. ''The one company I was hoping would buy the place, they're the ones that got it.''

Standard officials said they plan to hire several hundred people and have all systems operational by June 11, but did not commit to rehiring all the former employees.

''It's our plan to take applications and hire the very best possible people for work at this plant,'' said Jerry Fick, the director of human resources.

Mrs. Hughes and her husband, a maintenance technician at King Mill, were two of the 306 people left without jobs May 4 when General Electric Capital Corp. foreclosed on King Mill's parent company, Spartan International.

Between them, the Trenton couple had 38 years at King Mill - she had 15 years; he had 23 years.

''I think it's great that Standard bought it,'' Mr. Hughes said. ''I think they're a top-notch company, and I hope I can work for them. I've been there (at King Mill) since 1978, and ever since I've been there, we've done work for Standard.''

Mrs. Hughes said she prays that all the former employees will get their jobs back.

''I know it's not right to say I wish we could get preference over the rest of the public, but we were there first,'' she said with a laugh.

Immediately after the 3 p.m. news conference, the Hughes and other former employees went to the Georgia Department of Labor on Greene Street to fill out applications. The Labor department will accept applications for the King Mill jobs today from 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon.

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Ronald Walker, 61, who worked at King Mill for almost 40 years, was one of the former employees who filled out an application.

Mr. Walker said the reopening news was good ''so far.''

''It's going to be great for a lot of people, but it might not be so great for me,'' he said. ''I don't know yet.''

Mr. Walker's wife, Cheryl, has serious health problems that require more than $13,000 worth of prescription medicine per year. The family has been in a panic over how they will buy the medicine since they lost their health insurance when the mill closed.

Also at the labor department filling out applications were longtime employees Ada and Willie Spivey. Mrs. Spivey, 60, a weaver, worked at King Mill for nearly 36 years. Mr. Spivey, 62, a shipping supervisor and forklift operator, worked there for 40 years.

Mrs. Spivey was scheduled to have back surgery the day before the mill shut down but couldn't because her health insurance was canceled.

''I'm happy as long as I get a job,'' she said. ''I want to work.''

Mr. Spivey said it was ''really nice'' of Standard Textile to buy the mill.

''If they want me, I'll go back,'' he said.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylviaco@augustachronicle.com.