Reduced activity in the construction industry is blamed for recent layoffs announced at the US Metal Works Inc. plant in Liberty, a company official said.
“The economy has pulled us down,”plant manager Roger Morse said.
He said the layoffs are company-wide, adding that US Metal Works’ plant in Oregon also is laying off employees. Morse said 20 to 25 employees at the Liberty plant could be affected by the local layoffs.
He said the plant normally employs about 35 people, adding the reduction will leave him, his office staff and a few other employees at the facility.
“We work primarily with the lumber industry,” Morse said, adding that US Metal Works builds and installs equipment for lumber, plywood and particle board plants.
Located on Industrial Drive in Liberty, the 40,000 -square foot plant was opened in 1988, when the timber industry began growing in the southeastern U.S., according to the company’s Web site.
But the sagging economy, which forced the construction industry slow down, has reduced the need for building materials and affected the plants that use the equipment US Metal Works sells, he said.
The layoffs come on the heels of a decision last week by Georgia-Pacific Corp. to close its Gloster plywood plant and indefinitely lay off 280 people in December.
Morse believes the layoffs should be temporary.
“As soon as the market starts back up, we should be able to return to work,” he said. “But there’s no telling when that will happen.”
