Neverending “business slowdown”: U.S. Industrial/Mining/Logistics layoffs, December 2017

Incomplete list of U.S. Mining/Industrial/Logistics job loss/shutdown announcements made in December 2017.

 California: Alstyle Apparels shutting down its Anaheim Distribution Center, 81 jobs gone by February 2018.  Taxsucking Northrop Grumman issued layoff WARNs, 133 jobs gone by February 2018!  Taxsucking Chemring Energetic Devices suddenly shutdown its operations in Torrance, 63 jobs gone.  Toy maker Mattel suddenly laid off 70 people in El Segundo. Logistics company Kalstar eliminating 44 jobs in Oxnard by the end of January 2018.  Los Angeles based wood fiber products company Rentech now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and selling off its Fulghum Fibres and New England Wood Pellet operations.  Oil giant Chevron issued a mass layoff WARN for its  San Joaquin Valley Business Unit, 3-hundred jobs gone between now and the end of 2018!  Packaging company WestRock Converting issued a shutdown WARN for its Moreno Valley operations, 76 jobs gone by the end of February 2018.  What automotive industry recovery?  Zodiac Seats killing more jobs, this time 76 jobs gone as it shuts down its operations in Rancho Cucamonga.

Colorado: Fort Collins based bicycle maker Niner Bikes now chapter 11 bankruptcy busted and for sale.  Administrators said the bankruptcy was the “cleanest and fastest” way to sell the company.

Connecticut: Petroleum company Noble Americas Corporation issued a WARN saying at least 84 people lost their jobs after Xmas, due to the company’s sale to Switzerland based Vitol.  God powerless to stop ‘his’ Knights of Columbus from shutting down their printing operations in New Haven, 36 ‘christian’ jobs lost to outsourcing.

Florida: Gulf Power Company warning of an as-yet-to-be-determined number of layoffs due to ‘corporate realignment’.

Illinois: Plastic packaging company Bemis eliminating 52 jobs by the end of March 2018.  Saint Mary’s Cement eliminating 41 jobs in January 2018, due to “business slowdown”.

Indiana: What automotive industry recovery?  Auto interior parts maker Janesville Acoustics shutting down its factory in Richmond by August 2018, layoffs begin in February.

Iowa: DuPont Pioneer suddenly laid off an undisclosed number of employees, as a result of the DuPont-Dow Chemical merger.  Local news media reminded taxpayers that state leaders gave DuPont $17-million USD as an incentive to maintain 2-thousand-6-hundred jobs in the state.

Kentucky: CLARCOR shutting down an air filter factory, 120 jobs gone by February 2018 due to production being moved to Indiana!

Michigan:  What automotive industry recovery? Ford continues eliminating U.S. jobs this time by demanding 150 Michigan factory workers accept bribes to voluntarily quit (buyouts), blaming it on a surplus of vehicles (lack of U.S. sales)!

Minnesota: 3M shutting down its filter factory in Eagan as part of a global plan to exit the filtration market, 150 Minnesota jobs, and 430 jobs elsewhere, gone by the end of 2018!

New York:  News reports say California based Sanmina is killing more than 161 jobs at its factory in Owego, by March 2018 due to “…current demand levels.”  ReEnergy wood-chip fired power plant in Lyonsdale shutting down due to the expiration of its contract with New York State Energy and Research Development Authority.

North Carolina: Schizophrenic HAECO Americas announced it is laying off an undisclosed number of people at its aircraft interior (Cabin Solutions) factories, yet at the same time claims its opening a new operation that will employ 5-hundred people.

Ohio: After more than 1-hundred years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Union Metal shutting down, eliminating at least 339 jobs starting the week before Xmas and running through 2018!  Technical Consumer Products issued a WARN, 34 jobs gone in February 2018 due to a merger.  What automotive industry recovery?  Findlay based Cooper Tire suddenly laid off 80 people due to crashing U.S. sales of tires.   Administrators said global sales are up.  Autolite Spark Plug shutting down its factory in Fostoria, the remaining 62 jobs gone by mid-2018.  Local news media reported that in the 1990s the spark-plug factory employed 1-thousand people!

Pennsylvania: Packaging company D&W Fine Pack issued a shutdown WARN for its Hatfield ops, 180 jobs gone by March 2018!

South Dakota: Ohio based wind turbine blade maker Molded Fiber Glass Companies shutting down its factory in Aberdeen, 4-hundred jobs gone by February 2018!

Texas: Petroleum company Noble Americas Corporation issued a WARN saying at least 67 people lost their jobs after Xmas, due to the company’s sale to Switzerland based Vitol.  Cobalt International Energy now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Virginia:  Merrifield based Aero-X Golf-Polara Golf now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Mining/Industrial/Logistics layoffs, November 2017: “OUR EFFORT TO FIND A FINANCIAL FUTURE…HAS NOT SUCCEEDED.”