“In the last 10 days, I explained that the current market dynamics and economic downturn has had a direct impact on Wilsonart’s business, especially in the last 60 to 90 days,” company president Bill DiGaetano said.
“We expect that this situation will continue well into 2009,” DiGaetano said. “Already, we have made significant cuts in our manufacturing, distribution, selling and marketing expenses.”
All temporary employee positions in both our plants have been eliminated, he said.
“We are now faced with the unfortunate task of reducing the level of our full-time employees,” DiGaetano said.
He said the company will first look for volunteers who may be ready for retirement.
Alison DeMartino, spokesman for the company, said Wilsonart officials do not know yet how many local jobs could be affected by the workforce reduction. The reductions will be made throughout the international company.
“This (reductions) applies all over the company in all of the Wilsonart locations,” she said, adding that the company has more than 25 locations including distribution centers and other factories.
“We began the process today - the announcement is being made (to employees) right now,” she said late Monday afternoon. She said officials hope the process will be completed by mid-December.
She said the move is not related to an August announcement that the Temple-based company is for sale.
“This is something we had to go through whether or not we were for sale,” she said.
Illinois Tool Works, Wilsonart’s parent company, said during the summer that it wanted to divest the countertop, floor and adhesive manufacturing company from its portfolio.
“The Temple Economic Development Corporation and the community of Temple are saddened by the announcement of today’s layoffs at the Wilsonart International manufacturing facility,” Lee Peterson, president of the development corporation, said in a prepared statement. “While the overall impact of this reduction in staff is currently unknown, the TEDC is committed to providing support to Wilsonart at this critical time.”
He said the city will continue to attract diversified businesses.
“Temple’s core strength continues to be the diversification of its economic base, a strong, skilled workforce and a supportive business and governmental climate,” he said. “The statistics show that Temple is now and will continue to be an attractive place for business to survive and thrive.”
