NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A major Fox Valley employer is laying off 115 workers.
According to a notice filed with the state Department of Workforce Development, Neenah Foundry will be laying off the workers on Sept. 27.
The laid-off positions include 104 production workers, four production supervisors and seven corporate staff members.
“I don’t think a ton of people were terribly surprised that this was coming. It was just a matter of when is this happening,” said Karl Dahlen, Vice President of Administration and General Counsel at Neenah Enterprises Inc.
Dahlen says the move comes a year after the company announced it would sell its heavy truck market to Michigan-based Grede.
“The heavy truck market is a very difficult market. It wasn’t consistent with the other businesses we were running,” said Dahlen. “Consequently, we found a buyer — they wanted to double down on that business, we wanted to get out of it. We sold that part of the business to them.”
Now, 12 months later, Neenah Enterprises Inc. is winding down its part of the deal and production for the buyer.
“The majority of the people are coming out of the production lines as you’d expect. That’s where the reduction in the workforce needs really arises,” said Dahlen.
According to the Fox Cities Chamber, Neenah Enterprises Inc is the 12th-largest employer in the Fox Valley, with 950 employees.
“Will there be any more layoffs in the future?” asked FOX 11.
“No. Look, what we’ve done in the last three years is, we have really solidified our core business, and that business continues to go very well,” said Dahlen.
Employees who are affected by the layoff include workers who are members of the United Steelworkers Union and its local chapter 121B. FOX11 reached out to the United Steel Workers Union but did not hear back.
“The reductions are done on a seniority basis so, the least senior people are the ones who are leaving,” said Dahlen.
Dahlen says the laid-off employees will get continued pay and health benefits.
He says they will go on a recall list and be first in line for new openings.
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