Fort Smith officials respond to Whirlpool closure news
by October 27, 2011 3:20 pm 82 views
The city of Fort Smith issued the following statement following Thursday’s (Oct. 27) news that Whirlpool will close its Fort Smith refrigerator manufacturing plant.
Today’s news that Whirlpool will be closing its plant in 2012 after a 45-year partnership with our region is disappointing. Mayor Sandy Sanders, members of the board of directors, and the city’s administration are concerned about employees and families whose lives are directly impacted by Whirlpool’s decision.
Our first priority to citizens losing their jobs is to ensure that retraining opportunities are made available to these employees. During the past several years, approximately 3,500 Whirlpool workers have been laid off, and most have found other employment in the regional economy.
City Administrator Ray Gosack says, “While we are saddened by Whirlpool’s decision, we do understand the Fort Smith plant’s closure has nothing to do with the quality of our workforce or the relationship between economic development entities.”
In fact, in recent weeks, Governor Beebe, our congressional delegation, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, the City of Fort Smith and union leadership have met with Whirlpool officials to explore the possibility of retaining the Fort Smith Plant.
Whirlpool’s decision to leave Fort Smith is a direct result of national trends – including a downturn in the housing market, consumer choices in refrigerator purchases, and a general decline of manufacturing in the United States.
We will work closely with Whirlpool to market the facility for re-use. When the company closed its plant in Evansville, Indiana several years ago, the community was successful in transitioning the property to other purposes. The Fort Smith site has excellent utility services, and access to highway and rail transportation.
The City of Fort Smith is also committed – along with our strong team of economic development partners – to bring new employment to our region. Successful efforts with Mitsubishi are expected to bring more than 330 new jobs on line by mid-2012, and Golden Living is adding 200 new jobs to its Fort Smith administrative headquarters.
Mayor Sandy Sanders says, “Manufacturing has, for many years, been an important part of Fort Smith’s economy. We will continue to do everything we can to retain our diverse manufacturing base, but today’s announcement underscores the importance of developing a broader base of employment opportunities.”