VALLEY HEAD, Ala. (AP) — Shaw Industries has announced that it is cutting 160 jobs from its plant in the northeast Alabama town of Valley Head.

WHNT-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1dRMc6r) that the company is the largest employer in the small DeKalb County town.

Officials at the Dalton, Georgia-based company, which produces flooring products, say the cuts are due to a shift in customer preferences.

Company officials say they will try to place affected employees at other Shaw plants in the region.

Longtime employee Michelle Stuckey said she believes the cuts will be a big blow to the community, which is about 45 miles southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee.