If you were waiting for the other shoe to drop, it may just have (or maybe just started). Owens Corning, manufacturer of Composites such as fiberglass building materials has just furloughed 50 workers from their Brunswick, ME plant.
As we previously reported, the multi-national composites manufacturer reported losses of US$839 million for fiscal ’08 and forecast impending layoffs due to the slowed economy and drop in home building. That time, according to the Times Record has arrived. Owens Corning will furlough 50 of 98 employees from its Brunswick, ME composites manufacturing facility beginning Monday morning. All but 2 of the 50 affected employees are production workers.
The Brunswick facility (formerly Brunswick Technologies and then Saint-Gobain) was acquired by Owens Corning in 2007. It manufactures primarily products for the wind energy market such as glass for wind turbine blades. Scott Deitz, who heads Owens Corning’s global corporate communications confirmed the furloughs to the Times Record.
“We expect them to be on furlough for about 30 days,” Deitz said. “However, that could fluctuate depending on the market conditions and the needs of our customers.”
The 50 furloughed workers come on top of previously terminated temporary staffing which was let go in early February. Even so, Economic and Community Development Commissioner John Richardson said on Monday that he anticipates that the Owens Corning furloughs will be temporary.
“I’ve been in contact with Owens Corning out of Cleveland, and I anticipate a strong presence for Owens Corning in the Brunswick area for the foreseeable future,” said Richardson, a Brunswick resident. “I’ve been assured that, like all other companies, they’re feeling the impact of the slow economy, but they remain optimistic about their future in Brunswick.”
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