Foxton residents said a final farewell to the Feltex plant on Friday, where 80 staff have been made redundant.
Australian carpetmaker Godfrey Hirst bought Feltex after it went into receivership in 2006.
In March this year, it announced that factories in Feilding and Foxton would close, with a total loss of 165 jobs.
General Manager of Godfrey Hirst New Zealand says every effort has been made to help workers find alternative employment and about half of its employees now have new jobs.
The National Distribution Union says it has been trying to ensure that staff made redundant are retrained and offered help with job-search skills.
The union accuses private equity companies and banks of destroying Feltex.
