TFS Announces More Layoffs

Jason Sandefur

Textron Fastening Systems announced a second round of layoffs at its new plant in Greenville, MS. An additional 111 employees have been let go, reducing the staff to 170 hourly and 45 salaried workers at the $35 million, 308,000 sq ft facility. In Greenville the company reportedly let 80 workers go in early February, saying production levels were not ramping up fast enough.
According to the Rockford Register Star, the layoffs resulted from “a rougher-than-expected transfer of work from Rockford to Greenville.” Seven heading and threading machines were returned to Rockford after workers at the Mississippi plant had trouble operating them, the Register Star reported.
The problems in Greenville have caused TFS to delay the closing of its Rockford factory for a third time in six months. The Samuelson Road facility, which employs about 300 workers, was originally scheduled to close last fall.
TFS communications director Tim Weir did not announce a new date for the Rockford facility to close, but he did say workforce reductions were complete in Greenville.
“These are the last reductions that we need to do,” Weir stated. “We feel we have the employee level where it needs to be.” \ �2005 FastenerNews.com