MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio—Flooring and sports surfaces maker Tarkett USA Inc. is closing a distribution center in Geauga County, resulting in 92 layoffs.
The layoffs at the facility in Middlefield will begin Feb. 28, according to a notice Tarkett filed with the state of Ohio to meet requirements of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
The company said in the WARN notice that the closing "is expected to be permanent," and that as a result, bumping rights do not exist. Tarkett, in the notice, did not state why it is closing the Middlefield operation.
About 80 of the affected employees are represented by Teamsters Local Union 507, according to the notice.
Winn Everhart, president and CEO of Tarkett North America, said in a statement in response to a Crain's Cleveland's inquiry, "Tarkett announced the closure of our Middlefield, OH, distribution center to consolidate these operations, along with two other third-party distribution centers in Aurora, IL, and Murfreesboro, TN, to a new facility in Columbus, OH.
"It was an extremely difficult decision that we did not make lightly. We are working with union officials to ensure that affected employees receive severance payments and benefits, and we are committed to supporting them through this transition. By consolidating our distribution operations, we will become more efficient, enhance how we serve our customers, and reduce our carbon footprint.
"We remain dedicated to our presence in Ohio and will continue employing Ohioans at our North American headquarters in Solon and other manufacturing sites in Middlefield and Chagrin Falls."
A spokesperson for the Teamsters wrote in an email that the union local's secretary-treasurer was in negotiations on Tuesday morning and wasn't immediately available to comment.
Tarkett is a French multinational company with 12,000 employees, 23 R&D centers, eight recycling centers and 34 production sites worldwide. The company's North American operations are based in Solon, Ohio.