CHANUTE — Ash Grove’s cement plant here will be one of six to furlough employees this winter due to what the company described as “poor economic conditions that continue to affect the entire U.S. cement industry.”
The Chanute plant’s furlough of 32 employees will start Jan. 2, the Chanute Tribune reported, and will mark the third consecutive year that the economy has forced a layoff locally. Market conditions will determine when employees will be called back.
In the six affected plants, 220 employees will be laid off.
“The furloughs this year are less extensive than those the previous two years because we will work on special projects in select departments and perform regular maintenance on our facilities, which will shorten the furlough period for some employees,” said Mike Hrizuk, Ash Grove senior vice president of manufacturing.
Chanute’s will be the only one of four Midwest Region Ash Grove plants to have a layoff. Five of six plants in the West Region will have furloughs, all starting in December.
Cement plant to lay off 32
