It appears the Goodyear plant in Gadsden will be operating at greatly reduced levels in the very near future. As spelled out in a prior agreement, eligible employees were to be offered a “buyout” option – and it appears 740 have chosen to take advantage of the offer.
The numbers were released Thursday, and word has it, the exit date will be December 20th
It was announced back in February of this year (2019) that layoffs were being planned at the plant; and in April it was announced that the work schedules would be changed to three eight-hour shifts, leading to layoffs in the second quarter.
The most recent figures available indicated that approximately 1,400 people still worked at the plant; however it’s unclear just how many associates were still on the payroll – prior to the more than 700 that chose to take the recent buyout option.
Goodyear has been in Gadsden since 1929; at one point, providing jobs for more than 2,500 people.
It was as recent as 2015 that the company launched an expansion of the Gadsden facility – a move reportedly calling for an investment of some $30 million.
