Fiskars Brands Inc. of Madison, Wis., will shutter an injection molding plant that was dedicated to scissors component production in Spencer, Wis.
The move will take place during the next year and will affect about 90 employees, officials said. In addition, the company is closing a grinding facility in Wausau, Wis., bringing its total layoff number to 300. It will maintain its distribution center in Wausau, retaining 50 jobs.
``It hurts for us, though,'' said Jim Elliott, communications director with the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce, in a May 3 telephone interview. ``We're concerned about our ability to absorb those types of jobs in the community. If they're not cross-trained, it can be tough.''
Fiskars officials said competitive marketplace forces brought about the change. Fiskars has operated the facilities in Wisconsin for about 28 years, Elliott said, starting when the company used office space in the Chamber of Commerce building.
The company will shift production to lower-cost markets in partnerships with a few vendors in Asia, said Bill Nee, senior vice president of human resources.
The firm maintained operations in Spencer even when competitors were moving production overseas, he said, attributing that to the city's skilled workforce.
``About 10 years ago, a lot of domestic manufacturers [of scissors] moved overseas,'' Nee said, noting that Fiskars made capital improvements and focused on efficiency gains at that site.
The job reductions will begin in September. Officials expect to completely exit the building by the close of 2007's first quarter.