Perry County News
TELL CITY - ThyssenKrupp Waupaca is eliminating 120 jobs at its Tell City foundry as demand plummets for the cars and trucks built with its parts.
Personnel Manager Ed Zellers said the cuts were announced Thursday morning. Approximately 120 employees will lose their jobs as the company copes with declining demand for brake drums, disc brakes and the range of other products it produces for the automotive, truck and agricultural markets.
Job cuts will be effective Feb. 7 and impacted workers will receive extended benefits through the end of February. Layoffs were based on company seniority and will be felt in the foundry's gray-iron and ductile-iron divisions.
The layoffs are considered permanent and will reduce the foundry's work force to 774 people, Zellers said.
"We aren't able to tell anyone if or when they could be rehired, so we're designating (layoffs) as permanent."
Laid-off employees will be offered jobs at the foundry should business improve. "Absolutely, they will be given first consideration for recall should business rebound more quickly than predicted," he said.