Jarden closes its Fort Smith plant; 93 jobs lost

While the Fort Smith region has been fortunate to land several new manufacturing operations in 2008, the recent flurry of plant closings and layoffs threatens to end the year on a bad note.

On Tuesday, Jarden Plastics Solutions announced it will close its Fort Smith plant in January, eliminating 93 jobs.

The Greenville, S.C.-based company cited “declining demand” from its largest customer — Whirlpool Corp. — as a reason for the closing. The plant opened in Fort Smith in 1976.

Whirlpool has reduced employment at its Fort Smith plant from about 4,500 in early 2006 to between 1,500-1,000 today.

Other recent job cuts include:
• 250 jobs cut by Riverside Furniture announced 250 job cuts by mid-January. Most of those cuts are at the company’s Fort Smith operations.

• The employment count at Rheem has dropped from about 1,500 to about 800.

• The Times Record, a Fort Smith newspaper owned by Las Vegas-based Stephens Media, has cut between 25-30 jobs and/or positions in the past six months.

• Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp. has laid off between 25-50 at its corporate headquarters.

• Fort Smith-based OK Foods has cut numerous high-level vice presidents from its corporate headquarters.

• Riverbend Industries, a supplier to Whirlpool, has seen its temporary employment count drop from 120 to about 60. The company employs about 120 full-time workers.

• Bost Development Center in Fort Smith recently cut about 30 jobs following the loss of a government sewing contract.

The City Wire sought comment from The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce about the job cuts. When a response is received, we will update.