Layoffs come to Plasan, Orvis
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By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff - Published: January 16, 2009
BENNINGTON — Plasan Carbon Composites is planning a series of "staged layoffs" that will affect 92 employees at their Shield Drive plant while Orvis Co. laid off 26 people from its home office in Sunderland on Thursday and 12 people from its fishing rod manufacturing plant in Manchester.
Dalton Blackwell, vice president and general manager of the Plasan plant, said there would be a series of short-term shutdowns to level the inventory on hand.
"The automotive industry is not ordering parts for the first seven weeks of this quarter. What we're trying to do is match our labor and production to our orders," Blackwell said.
Plasan Carbon Composites manufactures various parts for automobile makers including pieces for the Dodge Viper, Ford Shelby and Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
However, Blackwell said employees will not be faced with a "steady, six-week layoff."
According to Blackwell, Plasan Carbon Composites has as many orders or more in 2009 as they had in 2008, but the parts for 2009 are needed later in the year.
Because those pieces can be manufactured "just in time," the plant will not need production staff until the orders are due.
The plant is expecting two production shutdowns of one week, one this month and one in February.
James Hathaway, a spokesman for Orvis, said the people laid off on Thursday were full-time salaried employees from almost every department. Orvis' corporate headquarters, which they refer to as the home office, is in Sunderland.
Hathaway said officials at the company had to make "difficult, painful" decisions because of slow sales in the most recent fiscal year quarter and continued challenges projected for the future.
"It was done as gently as we could. These people are our friends and family. We provided as generous a severance package as we could afford and outplacement services," Hathaway said.
People were laid off from the rod manufacturing plant because the company had enough fishing rods given slower sales, according to Hathaway.
"One of the most difficult things for us is that Orvis is coming off of three years of solid growth. This is not a reflection on the company or these people (who were laid off,) this is a reflection of the national and global economy and some extraordinary circumstances over which we had no control," he said.
Plasan has a second manufacturing site in Bennington. Plasan North America, on Bowen Road, makes armor plating for various vehicles. Michael Boyland, a Plasan spokesman, said production at Plasan North America had not slowed and there were no layoffs planned at that site.
Other manufacturers in Bennington County have also had layoffs in recent months.
Since October, NSK Steering Systems America laid off almost 200 employees and cut about 20 salaried positions. NSK manufactures parts for automobile steering columns.
Mannequin manufacturing company Berenstein Display in Shaftsbury laid off about 30 employees in November from a staff of about 100 employees.
Earlier this month, Vermont Composites laid off about 10 percent of its employees, almost 30 people, according to company president Patrick Wheeler.
Vermont Composites manufactures parts using carbon composite materials for two fields, aerospace and medical or industrial uses.
Gregory Laurin, human resources manager for NSK said there had been no developments in staffing since December. NSK still employs 325 people.
Plasan employs about 300 people between its two manufacturing sites.
"There is a light at the end of this tunnel. We should be able to bring most of these people back," Boyland said.
Contact Patrick McArdle at patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com.
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