Manufacturing facility to close, lay off 66 workers

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Sixty-six workers at a Canton Township manufacturer will not have jobs to return to when the coronavirus isolation restrictions are lifted.
Worthington Specialty Processing, a steel fabrication plant at 5260 South Haggerty Road, will close both the 195,000 square-foot processing center and the 250,000 square-foot distribution facility at the end of May, according to a company notice sent to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity March 17.  The notification is required by law when job losses are planned, according to provisions of the Worker Retraining and Adjustment Notification (WARN) Act.

The WARN Act requires employers to provide notice to employees and local government at least 60 days in advance of business closings and mass layoffs.
The company website included a notification of the closure noting that some operations would be moved to facilities in Taylor and Jackson. While the Canton facility currently employs 91 people, only 25 of those employees will be transferred to one of the two other Worthington plants.
“Closing the Canton facility and consolidating operations is a move to bolster the ongoing competitiveness of WSP,” according to the statement on the company website attributed to Jeff Klingler, president of Worthington Steel Processing business. “Employees are encouraged to apply for open positions at Worthington facilities in the area. We will work with all employees to provide transitional services,” the statement concluded.
The 30-acres of property on Haggerty Road near Van Born Road will also be for sale, according to the state notification.