Others, however, consider the state of the national economy, brace for things to get financially worse and hold tightly to their faith.
Mary Arrowood has lived in Whitmire her whole life, and is optimistic that the town will survive yet another big corporation closing at the Renfro building.
“I've seen it when it was nothing there. I've seen it close down three or four times and come back,“ said Arrowood. “I think we'll find something else.“
Mayor Tim Carroll says the town is a good candidate for another business and has perks like new underground utility support with water and sewer lines for new development, recent Main Street beautification, a cell phone tower, open land and proximity to cities.
“We're going to work real hard on it,“ said Carroll. “We have a nice town. We're marketable. We're in the middle of nowhere, but we're close to everything.“
Whitmire is an hour from Spartanburg, Greenwood and Columbia, Carroll pointed out.
Teresa Powers, director of Newberry County Economic Development, says one key factor businesses consider before opening in a new location is making sure there are workers.
“If we find the right company, the workforce is here,“ said Powers. “That's certainly in their favor.“
But Carroll did not want to set unrealistic expectations.
He says if a business comes, it would likely take a year or two because of the economy.
“Unless the good Lord blesses us real well, we're not going to get another plant in here in two or three months,“ he said.
In the meantime, Carroll says town stores will feel the loss. He says it's a given that people spend money in the area where they work, and drug and convenience stores, doctor's offices and restaurants in Whitmire will be affected.
“It's going to hit them all,“ he said.
Carol Thomas, owner of Thomas Grocery and Grill opened his dual operation store back “when Renfro was going full blast“ in December 2006.
Thomas estimates that 20 to 30 Renfro employees shop at the restaurant or store every day.
Already, because of the economy, he has cut back on employee hours and thinks he'll have to do more, like other area businesses are doing, he says.
“We've got to survive,“ he said.
Like Carroll, Thomas is hoping for new industry to replace Renfro but does not expect it will happen soon.
He heard an economist's projection of 22,000 lost jobs in the state in the upcoming year and is concerned.
“I'm real worried. I have a lot of money tied up in this place,“ he said.
Thomas said he would trust God and take it one day at a time.
“That's all we can do,“ he said.
Around the corner from Thomas', stylist Kathy Crumpton, owner of The Hair Station agreed that area businesses would suffer from Renfro's closing.
She thinks her hair business will hurt if people are struggling buying the basics.
“You've got to eat before you get your hair done,“ she said. “I would.“
Roy Doolittle, who scheduled a haircut from Crumpton, will not be directly affected by the layoff. He worked at Riegel that was housed at the site for 10 years, and then at Renfro for two. But he says he feels bad for all his friends that currently work there.
“It's bad. I hate to see it,“ he said. “There's nothing in Whitmire now.“
However, new Whitmire business owner Doris Abnathey, who was born in Whitmire and returned this summer after living 22 years in California, thinks her business will be OK.
She owns 99 Cents & Up Storehouse on North Church Street and thinks Whitmire will survive, considering it survived the mill closing back in 2001. It was owned by Westpoint at the time.
“J.P. Stevens was a major crush and most businesses that were there then are still here,“ Abnathey said. “I'm not worried at all.“
But for Renfro employees directly being laid off, they were not as lighthearted.
Outside Thomas Grocery and Grill yesterday around 3 p.m., a makeshift forum took shape as Renfro employees spoke of families to feed and financial concerns.
Robert Bradburn will be doubly hit with financial trouble when Renfro closes. Not only has he lost his job, but he says he still has yet to receive any financial compensation for getting hurt on the job in September.
Though he has received an unemployment check, Bradburn currently lives off his savings “that's almost gone,“ he says.
His brother, Frank Bradburn, also works at Renfro and says the timing of the plant's closing at Christmas is not good.
“They got us here on a bad time,“ he said. “It's just hard right now.“
Frank Bradburn has two sons to buy Christmas gifts for, but with $70 a week in insurance costs and a $116 per week child support payment, he says buying is tough. If he misses a child support payment, he says he could face jail time.
“I've been working 50 to 60 hours for the last few months just to make ends meet,“ he said.
Frank Bradburn has worked at the Renfro site for 15 years and wants to stay in Whitmire.
As far as looking for another job, he said he heard Renfro's corporate reps from Mount Airy say employees have to stay until the local site closed to receive unemployment money.
“The way they talk is that if we quit right now, it'll mess up unemployment,“ he said. “They said if you quit, you'll have to wait five to six weeks for unemployment.“
He said the company mentioned available jobs at its Alabama plant, but he wants to stay near his soon-to-be-retired parents in Whitmire “to help them out in case they need something.“
He hopes to be hired by a new business that could replace Renfro.
Travis Newsome is another Renfro employee who says moving to Alabama is not an option.
He says he does not want to pack up his wife and nephew that he supports and move them out-of-state.
Newsome agreed that financially, things are tough. He made $14,000 net this year.
But Newsome says he is not upset at Renfro.
“So far, they seem like they're doing what they can,“ said Newsome.
As far as a new job, Newsome says he may go back to school, or try to get hired on at Louis Rich or another nearby employer.
And he has faith that one job means another.
“The Lord's going to take care of me,“ said Newsome, who is a deacon at Grace Baptist Church in Whitmire. “He found me this job and he'll find me another one.“
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