APEX Tool Group Closing Springdale Plant

APEX Tool Group, a tool manufacturing facility based in Sparks, Maryland, plans to move operations of its Springdale plant to South Carolina. 

The closure will put about 250 employees out of work, said Bill Rogers, vice president of communications for the Springdale Chamber of Commerce. 

Layoffs will start at the end of 2015, according to a report by local CBS affiliate KFSM-TV, Channel 5.

The move comes with a merger between the Springdale plant, which has been in operations 45 years, and a Texas facility.   

Perry Webb, Springdale Chamber of Commerce president, said in a written statement released Aug. 7 that the merger is not completely unexpected.

“We have known for some time that plant consolidation was part of the company’s long-range plans,” he said. “We were the beneficiary of this strategy in 2009, when we were able to assist our local plant in securing consolidated lines from New York at the time APEX Tool Group was formed by Danaher Tool Group and another tool firm.”

Webb expressed assurance that Springdale can handle the loss, as did the city’s mayor, Doug Sprouse. 

“Layoffs are never good news, but we are confident our strong local economy will continue to create quality jobs that can address the demand created by the announcement,” Sprouse said in the statement.  

To that end, Webb emphasized other upcoming economic growth opportunities. “We have pending announcements, plus high-quality job-creation projects in the pipeline that will help our community move forward,” he said.