Two Butler County companies will close, leading to the loss of nearly 400 jobs. The companies have issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice to the Ohio Department of Job and Family services about the intended layoffs.
Most of the positions that will be eliminated by the plant closures are machine operators and assemblers, according to the WARN notices.
Manufacturer Honeywell will shut down its West Chester facility this year, affecting over 200 employees. Honeywell says some of those employees are with a union.
Layoffs affecting these employees will be conducted with the collective bargaining agreement between Honeywell and the union. Non-union workers will be offered severance and outplacement benefits.
In Hamilton, IMFLUX, a subsidiary of Procter and Gamble, will shutter its plant. As a result, 122 employees will lose their jobs. The company says none of its affected employees are with a union. Neither company could be reached for comment. The layoffs will start in June.
As a result of these layoffs, Butler County Jobs and Family Services is hosting a job fair on Thursday May 17th at their Fairfield office.
Nearly 20 companies will be hiring in manufacturing, shipping and handling, and there will be over 300 open positions.
Amy Miller, the Ohio Jobs Operator for Butler County, said job seekers can expect to be interviewed on the spot by some employers who are ready to hire.
"We haven't seen anything like these layoffs in the last five years. So we hope it's not a sign of things to come, but we're ready to help," said Miller.
