Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Arkansas: Commodity broker Turner Grain Merchandising now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Farmers are now accusing the company of ripping them off by ay least $100-million USD. Lawsuits say the commodity broker never paid them for grain deliveries, the questions now are where is the grain and where is the money? Local reports say police have been cooperating with the FBI over a criminal investigation into the company, however the FBI refuses to comment.
California: In Aliso Viejo, reports that internet video game developer Carbine Studios laid off as many as 60 employees. Company administrators confirmed there were layoffs but refused to give a number. In Richmond, Hartmann Studios Rentals issued a WARN saying 219 people will become unemployed in December! The WARN claims the layoffs are temporary. In Upland, school bus contractor First Student issued a WARN saying they will cease operations by the end of December, 156 jobs lost! In San Jose, HGST (formerly Japan owned Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, now owned by California based Western Digital) issued several WARNs saying at least 76 people will be laid off by January 2015. In Glendale, LMC Services issued a WARN saying they will shutdown at the end of December, at least 93 jobs lost. In Sunnyvale, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) laid off at least 57 people, without warning or public explanation. Also in Sunnyvale, Microsoft-Nokia issued a WARN saying 13 people will become jobless three days after Xmas. Verizon Wireless issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Victorville ops the day after Xmas, 56 jobs lost. In Jackson, Obama Care forcing Sutter Amador Hospital to warn of layoffs coming in January 2015.
Illinois: Too Big to Jail National Republic Bank of Chicago failed and was taken over by the FDIC and State Bank of Texas.
Indiana: After 100 years (surviving the Great Depression and numerous recessions) Clark Appliance now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. The owner blames climate change and the suck-ass economy: “We’ve had some serious challenges to overcome, namely the decrease in sales through the 2008 recession and the loss of our inventory at our Greenwood store due to flooding and mold issues.”-Bob Clark
Kansas: Overland Park based, but 80% Japan based SoftBank owned, cell phone service provider Sprint increased the number of people who will become jobless; now an additional 235 IT, portfolio management and network employees in Virginia will get the axe! That’s on top of the already 5-thousand jobs reportedly killed off by Sprint since December 2013!
Louisiana: God must really hate The Pelican State, three Christian schools shutting down in 2015: Holy Ghost in New Orleans, Our Lady of Grace in Reserve and Saint Agnes in Jefferson! Church administrators blame raptured, I mean what I call DSS (Disappearing Student Syndrome). Enrollment at each school is now under 200.
Maine: Legacy Publishing laying off about 75 people by November. Company administrators say the economy is forcing them to make a “strategic” move to internet sales only.
Mississippi: Diammonium phosphate fertilizer maker Mississippi Phosphates now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, at least 200 jobs in limbo! It’s blamed on a shortage of raw materials, but reports say the company has also been in trouble with government environmental regulations.
New Jersey: Membership store Costco (formerly known as Price Club) announced they’re shutting down their Hackensack store sometime in 2015. But it’s only because they’re building a new store three miles away in Teterboro. Company administrators told local news media they haven’t decided what to do with the Hackensack property, yet. The move might result in huge property tax losses for Hackensack.
New Mexico: In Albuquerque, after 41 years Dee’s Cheesecake Factory restaurant shutdown.
New York: More proof the internet is not the cause of the demise of brick-n-mortar stores: Internet seller vente-privee issued a WARN saying they will cease their NYC ops in January 2015, at least 133 jobs lost! Nutritional supplements maker NBTY issued a WARN saying they are getting rid of dozens of their in-house janitors at their Holbrook, Bohemia, Bayport and Ronkonkoma operations by January 2015. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York Home Care (VNSNY) added more people to their Obama Care job culling; dozens of healthcare workers at 13 locations will become jobless in January 2015.
North Carolina: In Durham, after 37 years Leo’s Seafood shutdown. The old owners blame the skyrocketing cost of fish, saying “Fish used to be one of the cheapest meats you could buy, it’s not like that anymore!” By the way neither one of the owner’s name is Leo.
Ohio: RockTenn announced it’s shutting down their 7 decades old Oakley cardboard factory at the end of December, at least 63 jobs lost. Company administrators blame new EPA rules, saying it’s not worth it to upgrade the factory to meet the new regulations.
Pennsylvania: In Pittsburgh, after 22 years Garfield Artworks announced it will shutdown in December. No official reason given, but recently one of the owners was quoted as saying “We couldn’t make any money on the arts…”
South Carolina: Conway based special industrial metals maker Metglas warned of layoffs do to a sudden crash in sales to China. Company administrators refused to give a number, but some reports say as many as 200 employees are threatened.
Texas: What housing market recovery? In Dallas, maker of roofing materials GAF (General Aniline & Film) Materials announced it will layoff 40 people in December. PlanesCapital Bank announced it will shutdown 11 offices by January 2015. It’s a result of the failure of troubled First National Bank of Edinburg/National Bank of El Paso, back in September. The FDIC ended up taking control of at least three First National offices, the rest were put under control of PlanesCapital.
Virginia: In Manassas, after 49 years iconic Kline’s Freeze soft serve ice cream shop killed off by greedy property owner: “We have been informed by our landlord that the Kline’s Freeze property is being sold. It seems our little blue and white building, serving our loyal customers and friends for 49 years will be torn own sometime in 2015.”-James and Lorraine Kline Croushorn, shop owners
Washington: Legal drugs pusher Amgen announced they will shutdown their Seattle area ops, killing off 274 jobs by 31 December, another 386 jobs will be killed off in 2015! The announcement comes just a couple of days after Amgen announced it would kill off 349 jobs in California three days before Xmas! It’s all part of Amgen’s plans to kill off a total of 29-hundred jobs by the end of 2015!
Wisconsin: CNH (aka CASE, International Harvester, New Holland) is joining competitor Deere and shutting down farm tractor production. 150 second shift employees will become unemployed on 01 December, at the Mount Pleasant factory! Xten Industries issued a WARN saying they’re selling off their plastic molding factory in Kenosha, resulting in 120 people becoming unemployed between December 2014 and January 2015! What’s interesting is Xten has been declared to be a fast growing company (150% from 2012-13!). Reports I read said company administrators refused to say why they were selling off their Kenosha factory.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.