Great Dane laying off 75 in Terre Haute

TERRE HAUTE - Layoff notices will be handed to about 75 workers at Great Dane Trailers' Terre Haute plant today.

Earlier this month, 130 workers at the Brazil plant were laid off in a move Brandie Fuller, vice president of marketing for the company, said was hoped to be temporary.

At the time, Fuller was quoted as predicting no layoffs at the Terre Haute facility.

Workers at the plant learned of the impending decision earlier Thursday, some said.

Fuller noted earlier that there is "not a whole lot of light at the end of the tunnel" for the housing or automotive industries, and "as a result, there is not a tremendous amount of freight out there that needs to be moved around."

The company, which manufactures truck trailers, employs around 1,000 people in Brazil and 500 in Terre Haute.

A layoff of 75 individuals represents a 15 percent reduction in the work force.

This announcement comes just weeks after Great Dane put workers on notice at its Greenville, Miss., plant that the facility could close if business does not improve in the next two months. The possible closure notice followed two rounds of layoffs at the Greenville plant in September and December.

There are 150 employees at the Greenville facility. Great Dane employs around 4,000 people nationwide.