Closing Down of Husqvarna’s Beatrice, Neb. Mower Plant
Husqvarna will be closing down its Beatrice, Nebraska lawn mower plant. 400 jobs are estimated to be lost as a result of Husqvarna’s plan to move from Nebraska to South Carolina.
As one of the key suppliers of employment to the local community, Husqvarna AB, a famous outdoor equipment maker, announced its plan to close its southeast Nebraska mower plant and move the current operations to Orangeburg, South Carolina. As a result, approximately 390 people are expected to lose their jobs.
Husqvarna is one of the largest employers in Beatrice and it started operations there since 1999. Currently, rumor has it that Husqvarna’s operations in Beatrice will be terminated during the second half of 2010, but it wasn’t clear whether or not all “Beatrice” jobs would be eliminated. Husqvarna officials have refused to comment on this topic.
"We will work hard with the state and city officials to turn this around," Gage County Economic Development Director Terri Dageforde said.
Mayor Dennis Schuster said he was shocked by Husqvarna's decision since its plant was running regularly with two shifts on most days and the company had consolidated production of several brands to Beatrice.
"By all appearances, they seemed to be very sound and stable here," Schuster said.
Husqvarna produces lawn mowers, chain saws and powered garden equipment. According to information shown on its web site, Husqvarna employs 15,000 workers worldwide.
Reference: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10763879