Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc. will close its location in Braselton, with layoffs beginning in late April, the company has announced.

About 35 positions will be phased out until the official July closing, according to spokesman Mark S. Scott.

Shane Short, president of the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber received confirmation of the closing on Tuesday.

"Obviously we're disappointed to see any business close, especially during the tough times that we've been having, and we feel the worst for the employees who have lost their jobs," he said.

The Braselton site is located in the Park 85 industrial park at the Ga. Highway 53 exit off Interstate 85. Mitsubishi also will close a plant in Ontario, Calif., with approximately 130 job losses there. The company is not affiliated with the Japanese automaker.

Mitsubishi officials said the company will discontinue production of its LCD televisions, which are warehoused at the Braselton location. The company will instead manufacture and sell micro-display projection televisions and Laservue televisions, according to a release.

Mitsubishi has had a presence in Braselton for 25 years and employed 1,200 people at its peak, according to Jennifer Dees, Braselton town manager.

"It's always sad to see one of our first corporate citizens we ever had leaving town," she said. "But they've downsized significantly over the years. ... The worst has already happened."

Dees said while the news is disheartening, three new corporations, Safelite AutoGlass, Dayton Superior Corp. and TransSouth Logistics, set up in Braselton in the past year.

"We do still have interest in companies moving to Braselton," she said.

Short said the employees who are laid off will receive severance benefits and transitional services from Mitsubishi.

"We have already been involved with some companies that have called us with jobs openings that we have and we've referred them to the folks at Mitsubishi so that they can perhaps connect those jobs with the employees who will be leaving that facility," Short said.