Preston plant to lay off 117: Matthews Bronze plans to close during next year

KINGWOOD, Nov 07, 2008 (The Dominion Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- MATW | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Matthews International, which owns a memorial manufacturing plant in Kingwood, told production employees Thursday the company will phase out the city's Matthews Bronze facility within the next 12 months.

About 117 people will be laid off, said workers who attended the meeting.

"They called us in at about 11 [Thursday] morning and told us they were phasing the Kingwood plant out," Matthews employee Judy Bucklew said. "It was really rushed. They called all of the production group into the supply building and told us."

Employees were given the rest of Thursday and today off and told to report to work Monday.

County Commissioner Vicki Cole said many households in the county face the loss of multiple incomes, with entire families employed by the plant.

"It's going to hit some families really hard," she said. "I hate to see this happen. The economy's really bad as it is, but for this many Prestonians to lose their jobs is just devastating. As a commission, I don't know what we can do, but we'll do anything we can."

Kingwood Mayor Jim Lobb said he and Preston County Chamber of Commerce board member Craig Rotruck hit the phones as soon as they heard the news to try to keep the plant open. They are partners in the Rotruck-Lobb funeral home chain.

Bucklew has worked at the plant for 18 years. She said her husband, Foster, has been there almost 35 years. Their son-in-law has been with the company for 13 years.

Brian Davis, a 10-year employee of the plant, said employees were told that declining sales were the reason for the shutdown.

Lobb estimated about 200 people work at the Matthews Bronze facility, though he doesn't have an official figure.

Office employees at the bronze facility were told they will remain in Kingwood. Davis estimated that there are 50 office workers at the plant.

Bucklew estimated that there were "150 or so" people at the meeting.

Pittsburgh-based Matthews International has various divisions, according to the corporate Web site. The Kingwood facility being closed is part of its bronze division. Its main products are bronze memorial markers.

Matthews' Kingwood West Annex is a separate facility that makes cremation products. It will not be closed, Lobb said.

Davis said the decline in sales "has been noticeable. They've been giving us days off -- Fridays and Mondays. But every year at this time, you get Fridays off."

Bucklew said workers' hours were cut to 36 per week in September.

"They have not cut any benefits," she said. "In fact, we just had a meeting [Wednesday] to renew our insurance. I don't think anybody really knew this was coming."

Though the phase-out is to be within the next year, Bucklew said "I don't think it will be that long. Orders have been slow. They've steadily gone down, even in the last year -- really, since Matthews took over."

The corporate Web site notes that Matthews acquired one of its largest competitors, York Bronze Company in Kingwood, in 2001, "to further penetrate new markets and diversify its memorial product lines."

"It's going to put a hurt on Kingwood," Bucklew said. "It's one of their biggest employers."

Figures from a 2005 county Economic Development Authority report placed it among the county's top 10 employers.

Some employees don't have a year to work.

Davis said those who make veterans' markers were given 60 days notice. A letter from Matthews International, given to those workers Thursday, says, "It is anticipated that your separation from employment will be effective between January 30 and February 13, 2009. This date may change depending upon customer order requirements. We will continue to monitor orders and advise you of any changes that may occur."

The letter was signed by James Doyle, group president, memorialization, who came from Pittsburgh to announce the closure.

Some were offered the option of transferring to plants in New York, Pennsylvania and Arkansas.

As co-owner of several funeral homes in the county, Lobb is a Matthews customer. And he's the mayor of Kingwood. That dual impact, he said, is why plant manager Mark Proudfoot called to let him know what was happening.

"He said they are definitely closing the manufacturing side of the business," Lobb said. "They will keep a limited office open on Sisler Street. The West Annex is going to stay open. He said he was not at liberty to say how many employees would be affected."

Lobb said he and Rotruck contacted the offices of Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, Rep. Alan Mollohan, Gov. Joe Manchin, the state Economic Development Authority, the Preston County EDA, Matthews International in Pittsburgh and state representatives, including Delegate Larry Williams, Sen. Jon Blair Hunter and Sen. Dave Sypolt.

"It's a devastating loss," Lobb said. "It's a loss in income. It's more than likely a loss of families from our community; of health insurance for families. We need to keep our workforce in the state.

"I hope people realize the economic impact of this on the city and on the county. And it's another industry leaving the state. And I expressed all this to Matthews," he said.

The Dominion Post made five calls to Matthews International in Pittsburgh and three to the plant in Kingwood. Calls were not returned Thursday.

Noting the approaching winter weather, Cole said, "As a community and as a county, we are going to have to come together more than we usually do at this time of year."

Cole said this is the time that many buy fuel for the winter. "We've always been known as a community that will help everyone out in times of crisis and it will happen again."

Lobb hopes to get a meeting date soon, to sit down with county officials, economic development people, and representatives from state and federal offices and with the company. He said his concern is not only as mayor, but as a businessman and a resident of the city.

"I hope we can sit down and have a positive dialog to come up with a resolution of keeping the manufacturing side here."

He said he proposed to Matthews that they shut down another facility -- in an area where people are better able to find new employment -- and bring that production to the area. Lobb said officials at Matthews have agreed to meet and will notify him of a date.

"The only thing I can do now is wait," he said.

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