Oreck Corporation announced December 12 a phase-out of its Long Beach, Miss., manufacturing plant, beginning at the end of February 2007 and continuing through October 2007.
The 43-year-old manufacturer of vacuums, air purifiers and other products will keep manufacturing jobs at its Cookeville, Tenn., facility.
"Our first responsibility is to our employees," Oreck Corporation president and CEO Tom Oreck said. "We want to give our Long Beach plant employees as much notice as possible."
Outplacement services, job fairs, resume writing and other counseling services are available to the plant's 450 employees.
Oreck was the first plant to reopen on the Gulf Coast 10 days after Katrina.
"Over a year later, the increased cost of doing business and the harsh realities of living on the Gulf Coast caused the relocation decision," Oreck said. "Mississippi's Economic Development Commission, the state and the county were extremely helpful over the past 10 years. This post-Katrina plant phase-out is determined by facts and factors beyond anyone's control."
Oreck will work with Mississippi's Harrison County Development Board to find an appropriate user for their 350,000-square-foot Long Beach manufacturing facility.
About the Author
