By Brian M. Boyce, The Tribune-Star
brian.boyce@tribstar.com
TERRE HAUTE - Great Dane Trailers is suffering alongside its customers, as the company plans to shutter a Georgia plant this year and lay off an additional 50 percent of employees at the Terre Haute facility next month.
"We're like the rest of the world right now, waiting for it to turn around because there's nothing much we can do," said Brandie Fuller, spokeswoman for Great Dane Trailers.
Fuller noted that DHL is one of the trailer manufacturing company's biggest customers, and she pointed to their recent decision to close nearly all U.S. locations as an example.
"A lot of the names that you see in the press are customers," she said.
Workers at the Terre Haute facility received a layoff warning Monday, she said, advising them of the 50 percent reduction effective Dec. 19.
This reduction comes on the heels of an Oct. 8 action in which 108 employees, or half its work force then, were laid off. Forty-five workers were let go earlier in February.
Effective Dec. 20, the Terre Haute facility will have about 115 employees, down from about 450 in 2006, she said.
The cuts were prompted by a "recent turn of events this week" in which large customers received unforeseen "tremendous cuts to their budgets," she said.
Steve Witt, president of the Terre Haute Economic Development Corp., said while there are many positives one can point to within the nation's economic issues, he acknowledged times are tough.
"Obviously it's not good news," he said Tuesday when told of the coming layoff. "Great Dane has always seemed to be a bellwether of the national economy."
And while the implications involved in the apparent drop in transportation don't "bode well for the national economy," the Wabash Valley has points going for it that should help until things turn around, he said.
"It's been a difficult year without question, but there are a number of positive things we can point to that occurred," Witt said.
In 2008, Terre Haute has seen two manufacturing plants open - CertainTeed and Boral Bricks - as well as expansions at Sony DADC and AET. The new call center at Alorica will have 600 on its payroll by January and call center NEW has announced a location here as well, he said.
"We're always looking for new business to come in," he said.
Vigo County's largest employers are public sector, he said, naming Indiana State University, Union Hospital and the school corporation, but the area's manufacturing sector includes Sony DADC and others that keep it a "diverse local economy."