WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio—Yusa Corp. has laid off 350 employees due to the "COVID-19 business interruption" related to the respiratory disease pandemic.
The company expects to call back the workers on May 1. They have been furloughed since March 30, according to a letter notifying the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services of the mass layoff.
Because the layoffs aren't expected to last for six months, Yusa didn't trigger any federal requirements for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification.
Founded in 1987, Yusa manufactures rubber automotive components, such as engine mountings, vibration insulators, suspension bushings, fuel tubes, air control tubes, and hoses for radiators, heaters and oil.
The company's main customers are Honda, Suzuki and Isuzu, but it also serves Mitsubishi, General Motors, Ford and others. Yusa is a subsidiary of Japan's Yamashita Rubber Co. Ltd.
Yusa closed its manufacturing plant on March 25 and had expected to reopen it April 7, but now that plan is pushed back to April 13, according to the company's website and plant status hotline.
"The anticipated return to normal operations is May 1, 2020," Vice President Paul Grubb said in the letter to ODJFS.
The company couldn't be reached for further comment.