Torin Halsey/Times Record News
The Natura World USA mattress plant on Interstate 44 laid off 20 to 30 employees Friday morning.
The Natura World USA manufacturing plant here on Friday told its employees that it is temporarily laying off workers.
Attempts to contact a plant spokesperson Friday were unsuccessful.
Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce Industry President and CEO Tim Chase said he was aware of the announcement and characterized it as a temporary layoff.
“They have had a temporary layoff … not closing,” Chase said. “We are very disappointed for the people being affected by this. Nobody likes to lose their income. We are very troubled by the fact. Temporary or not, folks are going to be without a paycheck.”
Chase also said, “When we have companies with consumer products, they cycle through ups and downs. It is not uncommon if they don’t have orders to fill and they have to lay off employees.”
Chase said he did not have a total number of workers affected, but said he was told by Natura World USA that some were being shifted over to GelSolutions, which is located in the same complex. It also is owned by Canadian-based Natura World.
Bill Scantlin of the Texas Workforce Commission’s resource center here said he was told the number was between 20 and 30.
“They (Natura World USA) laid between 20 and 30 off this morning (Friday). They are calling it temporary. I just got the information this morning. We had two or three of them (employees) show up this morning, and we’ve had other calls,” Scantlin said.
He also said the displaced workers were not given a return date, saying it was “open-ended.”
The mattress-manufacturing company abruptly eliminated a shift at the plant in mid-October, laying off 26 employees. Part of the memo to the workers at that time read: “For business-related reasons, Natura World USA is reducing its overall workforce to a single shift.”
About $6.5 million in the city’s 4A Board funds has been loaned to the company, which went toward purchasing the building, equipment, licensing agreements and inventory. If the company does not meet its agreement with the city, it is obligated to pay back the money owed. If Natura World USA were to go out of business, it was explained in a previous Times Record News article, the loans would default and the 4A Board would proceed with foreclosing on the company. The building, along with all of its equipment, would become the city’s, along with some collateral in Canada, it said.
An article in Furniture Today on Dec. 27 reported that the parent company had filed a notice of intention to restructure its business under Canada’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
The plant here opened in 2010. The parent company is headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, and was founded in 1994.
Article source: http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2012/feb/18/natura-plant-announces-temporary-layoffs/
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