By Kirk Johannesen, The Republic
johannesen@therepublic.com
NTN Driveshaft plans by the end of the month to have rehired most of the 200 employees it laid off in February.
Because of increasing sales, the company has been recalling workers for about three weeks, and figures to rehire about 160, said Dennis Fogle, administration manager.
All have been contacted about coming back to work, but some have found other jobs or moved away, Fogle said.
NTN makes c o n t i n u o u s velocity joins and supplies them to most a u to m o t i ve companies in North America, such as Ford, Honda, Toyota and Chrysler.
The slumping automotive industry and declining sales prompted the layoffs. Fogle said in February that orders had declined since April 2007.
However, customers are placing more orders with NTN because they are experiencing increased sales, he said. NTN will employ about 1,170 workers once recalls are completed.
"It's good to see, and hopefully the economy is turning around and getting people back to work," Fogle said. Corey Carr, president of Columbus Economic Development Board, echoed Fogle's comments.
He said the recall is great news because it shows that NTN remained committed to Columbus during tough economic times and could see the need for rehiring people. It's also a sign the economy is improving, Carr said.
"There is increased consumer confidence which has been driven up by better economic news, specifically in the automotive and truck industries. I think it will spur additional positive news," Carr said.
Cautious recall
Fogle said NTN could see conditions changing about two months ago but took a cautious approach to recalling workers.
"We wanted to make sure it's real," Fogle said.
Increased sales confirmed that business was better and that the company needed to rehire workers in order to meet demand.
Workers have been recalled in phases, beginning with those who have the most seniority.
Recalled workers are going through reorientation programs for safety reasons, and because some won't immediately return to their previous jobs. Some may be moved to similar positions, Fogle said.
Recalled workers are returning to 40-hour works weeks. NTN previously controlled costs and retained workers by cutting their hours to 28.
The company is running three shifts, too.