Rickie Hughes, who was laid off from King Mill one month ago, will return to his job at the plant. Mr. Hughes was hired by Standard Textile, the company that bought King Mill, as a maintenance technician and will earn 46 cents more an hour in the new position. ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER/STAFF

Mr. Hughes has been hired by Standard Textile, the company that bought King Mill after G.E. Capital Corp. foreclosed on the mill's parent company Spartan International of Spartanburg, S.C., on May 4.

Standard Textile has hired 143 people of the 330 interviewed Thursday through Saturday, said Jerry Fick, Standard Textile's director of human resources.

As many as 850 people have applied for jobs with Standard Textile, and the company will continue interviewing applicants at the Georgia Department of Labor on Greene Street this week, Mr. Fick said.

Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, who were profiled May 28 by The Augusta Chronicle in its ongoing series about former King Mill employees, were thrown out of work along with 304 others with the foreclosure, and they lost their healthinsurance and retirement benefits.

The Trenton, S.C., couple, both 45, applied for jobs and were interviewed after Standard Textile announced the purchase last week. Mr. Hughes was hired Friday for 46 cents more an hour as a maintenance technician, the job he had when the mill shut down.

''At least the worry is over for me now,'' said Mr. Hughes, a 23-year King Mill employee. ''I think in time, with this company, you have room to move up the ladder and not get in a stagnant position.''

Mr. Hughes, who expects to start work at the mill Monday, said he also interviewed with Mount Vernon Mills in McCormick, S.C., on Friday.

Mrs. Hughes said she is happy for her husband.

''I'm glad that he is going back to work,'' she said. ''He's in a much better mood. He's got more confidence in himself.''

Mrs. Hughes said she, however, is feeling down about not being hired for her old job of labeling blankets and bedspreads at the mill.

''They called back the other three ladies I worked with in my section - the packers and the lady who would take the tickets I would make, Julie, Sandra and Evelyn,'' she said. ''They already took their drug test.''

Mrs. Hughes, who worked for King Mill for 15 years, said she woke up Monday as ''sick as a dog.

''I think it's just my nerves,'' she said. ''If they don't call me back, the only thing I know to do is go to my doctor and get my disability papers filled out. I've got too much nerve damage in my neck and in my arms to go back to doing waitress work and carrying heavy trays.''

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