Hutchinson is bracing for the impact of the end of manufacturing at the local Hutchinson HTI plant; when my neighbors and I shoveled snow plow tailings from our driveways this afternoon, this was a common concern.
As Bluestem noted earlier this month, Republicans in the Minnesota state legislature and party leadership have suggested that business relocation incentives begun by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker prompted the move; in fact, the company was not eligible for those incentives.
Now word comes from a local television station that HTI making layoffs in Eau Claire this week:
HTI started making layoffs today in Eau Claire.
The company would not say how many are being made, but Eau Claire's economic development director has said he's heard more than 200 layoffs could be made in Eau Claire over the next nine months. HTI's cutbacks are part of a restructuring plan. The company is cutting its US workforce by 30 to 40 percent and consolidating some manufacturing operations from Minnesota with operations in Eau Claire. . . .
. . .Minnesota's governor recently met with the CEO to talk about the company's decision to consolidate operations in Eau Claire and Thailand. Governor Dayton says he was told there was nothing Minnesota could've done to prevent it. HTI calls it a shift of the customer base from 100 percent American to 98 percent Asian.
Perhaps Minnesota Republicans will drop HTI as the poster child for the talking point comparing Minnesota and Wisconsin's business climate, taxes and regulation, but I won't be holding my breath.
Photo: HTI's Eau Claire plant.
Related posts:
Playing politics with pain: Glenn Gruenhagen blames Hutch Tech lay-off on taxes
Having it all in Hutchinson: Senator Scott Newman shows up for photo op
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