Laminate flooring maker Pergo, battered by the housing downturn, is being bought by a competitor, Mohawk Industries.

The $150 million cash deal, which requires regulatory approval, is expected to close within five months. Pergo is based in Sweden but has its North American headquarters in Raleigh and a manufacturing center in Garner.

It's not clear if Mohawk plans to continue the Pergo flooring line or maintain operations in North Carolina. Mohawk's CFO, Frank Boykin, did not return a phone call.

"The combination of the entities offers significant opportunities to optimize the assets of both companies while enhancing the design and product performance of both brands," Mohawk said in a statement.

Pergo employed 175 people a year ago but additional information was not available Monday. Pergo CFO Franz Wiest said all media queries are being forwarded to Pergo's office in Germany. 

The weak housing market has claimed another casualty in the state, this time a carpet and flooring maker in Laurel Hill.

Mohawk Industries notified state officials last week that it's permanently closing its plant in Laurel Hill plant, about 85 miles southwest of Raleigh, and laying off 197 workers. The layoffs are slated to begin Aug. 22, Mohawk told the N.C. Department of Commerce.

Officials at Georgia-based Mohwawk couldn't be reached for comment. Mohawk, the nation's largest flooring products manufacturer, specializes in carpets and rugs, as well as laminate, wood, stone and vinyl flooring. The company's sales fell 3.5 percent last year to $691 million.

A rug manufacturer about 100 miles northwest of Raleigh last week notified 141 workers that they will be laid off.

Mohawk Industries, based in Calhoun, Ga., blamed the layoffs at its Karastan Rug Mill and Karastan Sevice Center on "the global economic downturn and a dramatic decrease in sales," according to a layoff notice sent last week to the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The facility in Eden employs 326 people. About 185 will remain after the layoff.