SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—Timken Co., a producer of engineered bearings and power transmission components, will cut 97 jobs—about 40 percent of its heavy belt manufacturing work force—at a plant in southwest Missouri.
The North Canton, Ohio-based firm notified employees of the layoffs Dec. 6, 2024, and filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with jobs.mo.gov Jan. 7.
"We notified employees at our Timken Belts facility in Springfield, Mo., that we intend to reduce the plant's work force by approximately 40 percent by the end of 2025, with reductions beginning early this year," Timken spokesperson Scott Schroeder told Rubber News Jan. 8. "While difficult, we make staffing decisions at our facilities based on a continuous review of our long-term capacity plans, cost competitiveness and customer demand."
According to the Jan. 7 WARN filing, Timken will stagger the layoffs between March 21 and Sept. 30.
While the WARN filing states "closure" in the "type" of layoffs, Schroeder confirmed only the reduction in work force in Springfield.
"We will provide support to help employees affected by this change, including retention/severance pay and outplacement career planning services," he said. "To provide as much time as possible for those impacted to plan for their future, we're committed to providing at least 60 days' notice prior to an employee's last day."
According to a local news report, the Timken facility opened in 1959 under Dayco and represents one of the largest employers in the region.
