“involuntary separation program”: U.S. Mining/Industry/Logistics layoffs, February 2017

Incomplete list of U.S. Mining/Industrial/Logistics job loss announcements and shutdowns for February 2017.

The largest towing company in the United States, United Road Towing, is now bankrupt and dead?  The evil Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo is now in charge of selling off company assets to the highest bidders.  The bankruptcy is sudden as news reports said the company claimed it made profits in 2016, however, United Road Towing has actually been operating on debt financing and those debts now far outweigh any ‘profits’.  Ironically (yet normal for bankruptcies involving companies) the bankruptcy allowed yet more debt financing so that employees and suppliers could be paid!  There were reports the company expected to emerge from bankruptcy, yet I also saw reports that said the sale of assets had been approved.

Alabama: Beaulieu America shutting down its cable operations in Bridgeport, 332 jobs gone by the end of March!

Alaska: Taxpayer owned Alaska Railroad Corporation laid off 31 people and eliminated 29 positions, blaming an un-recovered economy for creating a forecasted loss of $4.9-million USD for 2017.

Arkansas: HVAC maker Trane shutting down its Fort Smith factory as part of its consolidation plan, 250 jobs lost over the next few months!

California: Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas eliminating jobs in Bakersfield and Los Angeles by the end of March.  Boeing eliminating 1-hundred-plus jobs in El Segundo and Huntington Beach by the end of April.  Upscale sun-glass maker Oakley issued a shutdown WARN for its Ontario operations, 78 jobs gone by the end of July.  The new owner of troubled apparel maker VF Contemporary Brands issued layoff WARNs for its Los Angeles and Vernon ops, 88 jobs gone by April.  Tax sucking maker of parts for inflatable boats, Wing Inflatables, warning that 1-hundred jobs in Arcata could be lost, if they don’t win a multi-million USD tax-sucking contract from the U.S. Navy for Special Warfare Boats!  Material handling specialist Elite Line Services (ELS) shutting down its Los Angeles location, 65 jobs gone by the end of April.  Washington based port operator Puglia Engineering suddenly backed out of its deal to take over a former British empire BAE pier in San Francisco, 184 jobs suddenly gone!  Administrators blame the U.S. tax-sucking British empire’s BAE for selling them a pig-in-a-poke as they discovered $9-million USD in damages to the pier caused by BAE!  Local news media reported that under BAE the pier employed more than 2-hundred people.

Connecticut: In Old Saybrook, Fortune Plastics eliminating 92 jobs by mid-April.

Delaware: What construction industry recovery? window and door maker B.F.Rich shutdown its factory and laid off 130 people!

Florida: In Milton, wholesaler H.T.Hackney eliminating 40 jobs by mid-April.  What construction industry recovery? Door maker Jeld-Wen issued a WARN saying 82 jobs in Kissimmee will go away by the end of March.  Jacksonville based rail transport company CSX announced it will eliminate 1-thousand management level jobs, calling it an “involuntary separation program”!

Illinois: In Chicago, greeting card maker Recycled Paper Greetings issued a shutdown WARN, 64 jobs lost between April and July. In Franklin Park, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco issued a shutdown WARN, 246 jobs lost by May!  Republic of China (Taiwan) based ocean going freight company Yang Ming Marine Transport eliminating 47 jobs in Downers Grove due to consolidation.  Ammo maker Olin laying off 17 people in East Alton as it moves ops to Mississippi.  Local news media reported that in-total more than 180 Olin jobs have left the state since last year!  After 160 years wholesaler distributor Newman & Ullman now dead, local news media were unable to get an official comment from the owner.  The company delivered anything from car parts to restaurant supplies.

Indiana: Texas based steel company CB&I issued a shutdown WARN for its East Chicago coke ops, 149 jobs gone due to loss of contract with Illinois based SunCoke Energy!

Iowa: What automotive industry recovery? Motor-home/RV maker Winnebago Industries suddenly eliminated an undisclosed number of jobs at its factory in Forest City, as well as reduce work hours for remaining employees.  In Cedar Rapids, product developer and promoter Raining Rose laying off 49 people by mid-March.  Americold Logistics issued a shutdown WARN for its Bettendorf location, 43 jobs lost by April.

Michigan: What automotive industry recovery? Penske Vehicle Services issued a layoff WARN, at least 165 people losing their jobs due to losing a contract with General Motors (GM)!  In Flint, American Spiral Weld suddenly furloughed 22 employees due to a sudden crash in sales.

New Jersey:  What construction industry recovery? Crowne Architectural Systems issued a mass layoff WARN for North Bergen, 2-hundred jobs lost by mid-April!  In Mount Laurel, PHH Mortgage eliminating 33 jobs in March.

New York: NRG Energy shutting down power plants across The Empire State, 131 jobs lost between May and June!  Envelope maker Cenveo issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Orchard Park, 111 jobs lost between March and May!   Mattress maker Ascion issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Eden, 39 jobs gone by the end of April.  What automotive industry recovery? Penske Vehicle Services eliminating jobs in Bufallo and NYC due to losing a contract with General Motors (GM).

Ohio: Enginetics issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Eastlake, at least 28 jobs lost by July. Enginetics’ main customer is the tax-sucking U.S. military.  What automotive industry recovery?Penske Vehicle Services issued a WARN for its Lordstown ops due to losing a contract with GM.  Fiat-Chrysler shutting down its Jeep factory in Toledo, 3-thousand-2-hundred jobs lost in April!  Officially the shutdown is due to re-tooling, and production is expected to start back up by the end of the year, however, Toledo Molding & Die says it is forced to shutdown its factory (which supplies the Jeep factory) and layoff 30 people due to Jeep Cherokee production being moved elsewhere!   Another Jeep factory supplier, Piston Automotive,  laying off 52 people for the same reason; Jeep production is leaving Toledo!  DHL Supply Chain, yet another Jeep factory supplier, laying off 277 people!

Pennsylvania: Paper Works eliminating 147 jobs in Philadelphia by mid-April!  CEVA Logistics eliminating 29 jobs in Lewisberry, by April. What construction industry recovery? SBC Building Systems issued a WARN for its Ambridge location, 98 jobs lost by mid-April. In Avonmore, Akers National Roll/ Union Electric Steel eliminating 157 jobs between March and May!  Mesto Minerals eliminating 95 jobs in Washington and Montour counties.  CNX Coal Resources-Consol Energy laid off 2-hundred people due to a state Environmental Hearings Board restriction!

South Carolina:  Tax-sucking maker of fabric armor, DuPont-Kevlar, shutting down its six years old factory in Berkeley due to lack of sales.  Local news reports say DuPont claimed to have invested $500-million USD in the factory, but is now consolidating the work to other factories, resulting in 113 jobs lost in Berkeley County!

Texas: Mining (oil) company Vangard Natural Resources now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. The court approved $50-million debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing through evil Too Big to Jails Citibank, JPMorgan and Wells Fargo Bank.  Oil company Anadarko issued a layoff WARN for its Carrizo Springs ops, 85 jobs lost.  Switzerland based offshore oil company Transocean eliminating 120 Lone Star jobs!  Atwood Oceanics eliminating 86 jobs in Houston.  Storage tank maker PermianLide shutting down its factory in Kilgore, 70 jobs gone by March.  GE (General Electric) eliminating 250 railroad engine jobs in Fort Worth, remaining employees reduced to 32 hours work weeks!   What construction industry recovery? Indiana based mobile home maker Skyline WARNed that if nobody buys their Mansfield factory then all 105 employees will become unemployed by mid-April!  Skyline admin say the Mansfield factory hasn’t made a profit since 2014.

Virginia: Delivery Agent Holdings shutdown its Corzet operations, 134 jobs gone!  However, local news media contacted managers at the Corzet site who said they haven’t been told anything by corporate and the WARN was ‘news to them’, but I did some checking and discovered the shutdown WARN was issued back in December 2016, just shows you how ignorant employees can be (even management)!  In Roanoke, unnamed employees of Illinois based FreightCar America leaked a company memo to local news media revealing that 364 layoffs are in the works for April!  It’s blamed on crashing orders from the rail transportation industry.  Wilson Trucking issued a shutdown WARN for its Fishersville ops, 316 jobs gone by March!

Washington: Crown Resources-Echo Bay Minerals shutting down its operations in Ferry and Okanogan counties, 95 jobs gone by April.

Mining/Industrial/Logistics January 2017:  “INDUSTRY PLUNGED…WE WEREN’T NEEDED ANYMORE”