BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – A 132-year-old company that makes bristles for everything from toothbrushes to brooms is closing its manufacturing operation putting 100 people out of work.

Specialty Filaments Inc. has its headquarters in Burlington and the 25 to 30 headquarters jobs will remain in the city, said company spokesman Reggie Hockenberry said.

The plant is scheduled to shut down between July 30 and Sept. 30.

“Huge challenges from China — that’s been kind of a burr in our saddle for some time. It’s about $15 million over five years,” Hockenberry said, referring to the amount of money the company has lost to overseas manufacturing.

A year ago, Specialty Filaments received economic development assistance from the state to help with $14 million in investments in the company.

The Vermont Economic Development Authority granted a $2 million mortgage guarantee to back the $14 million loan, a move that was to have protected 336 jobs at the company’s plants in Burlington and Middlebury.

The Burlington plant’s closure will not have an impact on that loan guarantee even though all of the jobs were not protected, said Jo Bradley, VEDA chief executive officer.

“We were aware of the company’s challenges when we became involved with them,” Bradley said.