Trane to cut 100 jobs at its Fort Smith plant

Trane announced Wednesday (Dec. 3) that it is laying off 100 employees at its Fort Smith plant. Jerianne Thomas, vice president of communications for Trane, said the layoffs are effective Jan. 5. Thomas also said the air-conditioning manufacturing plant, which now employs about 500, will have its holiday shutdown extended from two to three weeks. The shutdown will begin Dec. 15 — instead of Dec. 23 — and end Jan. 5.

While most layoffs this time of year are seasonal and the jobs often return a few months later, Thomas said this layoff is related to effects of the recession.

“Like other companies across the country, we are responding to the market,” Thomas told The City Wire, in explaining that the national economic downturn has reduced demand for the company’s products.

Trane also cut 300 jobs at its plant in Tyler, Texas, Thomas said. That plant will employ about 1,100 after the layoffs are implemented.

Thomas said the company is working close with employees to coordinate benefits, training assistance and any other company or government programs that might be available to them.

More than 1,200 Fort Smith area job cuts have been announced in the past 60 days. Those announcements include:

• Westlake Chemical company confirmed Tuesday (Dec. 2) it is closing its Van Buren pipe plant — North American Pipe — sometime in January, resulting in 64 lost jobs.

• Jarden Plastics Solutions 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.

• Whirlpool has reduced employment at its Fort Smith plant from about 4,500 in early 2006 to between 1,500-1,000 today. About 700 of those job reductions were made in early November.

• 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 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.