STATESBORO, Georgia (AP) – A Minnesota company that makes glass panels for building facades is closing its Georgia facility as part of a major corporate reorganization.
Minneapolis-based Apogee Enterprises announced Wednesday that it will close its Statesboro Viracon facility and lay off approximately 190 employees. The company announced that it will also close its Velocity Glass facility in Dallas, bringing the total number of layoffs to 400.
Apogee said the effort is aimed at saving $ 20 to 30 million a year, but the company will incur a one-time loss of $ 30 to 35 million for asset depreciation and severance payments.
The company said it has enough capacity at its Owatonna, Minnesota facility to carry out the work now being done in Statesboro. It is expected that employees will not be offered transfers.
The Statesboro Herald reports that up to 600 people worked at the Viracon facility, which opened in 1998.
Apogee spokesman Jeff Huebschen said the company plans to close the Statesboro facility by December 31st.
Benjy Thompson, CEO of the Development Authority of Bulloch County, said the pandemic had pushed down orders for Viracon.
“You’ve been through some tough short and long-term problems related to a pandemic so it wasn’t particularly surprising to sit back and think about, but it’s always shocking when a plant like that one closes in a community” said Thompson.
Thompson said local officials would be happy to help sell the property to a new occupant.
