Management at Poplar Bluff factory says no more layoffs planned even if supplier closes

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A major Poplar Bluff manufacturer offered reassurance Friday that the company will not be forced to eliminate jobs because of supply issues.

Concerns were raised about the ability of Briggs & Stratton to operate at the current number of employees should the local Fortis Plastics LLC close. The facility is said to supply a significant amount of the molded plastic components used in Briggs production of lawn mower and small engine parts.

"That is not a concern. There are no additional layoffs planned for the Poplar Bluff Briggs operations," said Briggs Plant Manager Mark Melloy.

The Daily American Republic has been told Fortis announced Oct. 17 to its approximately 130 employees that the site would close. Local Fortis management has said it cannot comment on the matter and phone calls to its parent company, Monomoy Capital Partners, have not been returned.

Melloy said he could not comment specifically about Briggs relationship with Fortis before a formal announcement has been made.

"We have developed contingency plans for potential supplier constraints," Melloy said. "Those contingency plans will allow us to sustain our operations going forward."

The staffing numbers established after the layoff of more than 200 employees Oct. 14 are expected to remain, according to Melloy.

"We hope to see the economic and seasonal recovery continue so we can bring those positions back in the future," said Melloy of the plant, which now has 1,037 workers.

Fortis has announced the closure of two other locations in the last year.

The City Wire in Fort Smith, Ark., reported last week Fortis Plastics there, which employs 100 people, will close between Nov. 4 and Nov. 18. The company cited trouble raising capital for operations when it filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) document. The WARN Act requires companies to notify their workers 60 days in advance of plant closings or mass layoffs.

Staff with the Division of Workforce Development said they have not been notified by Fortis of pending layoffs here.

A Fortis location in Henderson, Ky., which had 60 employees, was expected to be emptied by Friday after equipment there was auctioned following its closure.

Pertinent address:

731 Missouri 142, Poplar Bluff, MO