Monroe Chat

Very sad indeed - especially noting our 'buddy' is on this list

Middletown Journal reports:
MONROE — Clark Western Building Systems will be closing its steel plant, laying off 35 workers.

Downsizing will begin in the next few weeks, but the final closing won’t occur until the end of the third quarter, said Todd Barnett, vice president of human resources for Clark.

Employees at the plant, 101 Clark Blvd., just off Ohio 63, were notified about the closing in December 2009. Options for keeping the plant open were explored “but that was not profitable,” said Scott Rich, president of the Machinists Local Lodge 1943, which represents hourly workers at the Clark plant as well as AK Steel’s Middletown Works.

William Stonecither Jr., a resident of Trenton and a plant machine operator for 13 years, said the possibility of the closure burned in the back of everyone’s minds as sales started dropping off a year ago.

“This job has been everything. It has allowed me to buy a house, grow my family, have a stable income,” the 44-year-old said. “It’s a tough situation. There’s not a lot of bitterness, it’s just more disappointment.”

The plant has undergone numerous downsizings since its heyday, with 213 employees before the recession hit, Stonecither said. Many of the 35 employees have been with the local mill since it founded the company’s operations in 1981, manufacturing steel framing for the commercial building sector, Rich said.

Barnett said the company decided to close the Monroe plant because of business conditions. He would not release specific sales figures. Equipment from the facility will be moved to other plants and the company will market the building for sale.

“We’re working with the employees and state agencies and others to help them to transition as effectively as possible,” Barnett said. “It is a very tough time and we hope that everyone can find something going forward. That is why we made the announcement as soon as we could.”

Rich said employees have been offered a severance package that includes some health benefits. Some employees have applied for positions at the Middletown Works mill, as AK has hired about 70 additional workers within the last few months, he said.

For Stonecither, he said he’ll be going back to school to find a trade “where the employer can’t walk out on me.”

Sad. I wish all the best for all of those affected. This could happen to any of us right now.

Yes Sir!! It is heartbreaking... I guess if anything the fact that those employed by Clark Steel were given advance notice, is a blessing...