The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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May 28, 2009

Manufacturers pressed to reduce employees due to struggling economy

By Kasey Fowler and Cass Rains, Staff Writers

Northwestern Oklahoma’s manufacturers are being affected by the recession and are being forced to offer early retirement packages, reduce work hours and conduct layoffs.

GEFCO President Aaron Harmon said the company was forced to reduce its workforce earlier in the month because of the economy.

“We had a reduction in force earlier this month,” Harmon said. “It was due to lack of demand and the global economy and lack of orders and a slow down.”

He said the company tried other measures before laying off employees. He said he did not want to talk about the specific numbers of workers laid off.

“We reduced work hours, and we offered a volunteer retirement and resignation plan,” Harmon said. “Several took advantage of it. After that was tried, we analyzed our work force and determined we need to reduce our work force.”

He said the cuts were necessary for the company’s long-term health.

“We regret that we had to let people go but it was done to preserve the long term of the company,” he said.

Central Machine Tool Co. President Jim Parrish said the work week has been cut back to 32 hours to save costs since about the beginning of the year.

“We have cut back on some hours, and we anticipate sometime late summer to going back to full hours,” he said. “We don’t have any plans to do any layoffs. We don’t intend on laying off unless we absolutely have to.”

Parrish said the company has built a good work force, which is difficult to do, and wishes to avoid layoffs. He said last year was good for the company and sales are down this year in comparison.

“We’ve been this way for a while,” he said, noting the cuts in hours apply to most everyone in the company. “It creates a hardship for everyone.”

A representative for Hackney Ladish Inc. in Enid could not be reached. Representatives at the company’s corporate offices in Dallas referred calls to the Enid plant manager who was not at the plant Thursday.

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