BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A manufacturing plant in Brunswick that caught fire two months ago is closing for good, leaving hundreds of people out of their jobs.
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The fire at Pinova Plant which occurred in April, a company official said it destroyed core production assets and infrastructure.
Over 200 employees are going to be without jobs, one worker said he was stunned because he didn’t think the plant would ever shut down knowing its history in Brunswick, and thought that they’d bounce back after the fire.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Nathan Harsh said.
Employees were notified Wednesday of the planned closure of the plant. The company said layoffs will occur in a phased manner to safely wind down, decommission, and close the production site in compliance with all regulatory standards.
A company official said the fire destroyed core production assets and infrastructure, saying to re-open, it would require intensive demolition, reconstruction, costs, and time.
Harsh was a vinsol operator at the plant but now is on the hunt for another job.
“It is shocking, it seemed like we were going in the right direction. The fire was two and a half months ago, we’ve been doing a lot of cleanups, they’ve been fixing a lot of stuff and spending money that needed to be spent,” he said.
Harsh was with the company for about two and a half years and after the fire happened, he still thought they’d eventually get back to a normal workflow
“I think if they wanted to, they could’ve spent the money and we could’ve gotten back up and running,” he said. “If they laid us off right after the fire, I get that, but it’s been two and a half months and we’re still working, still getting paychecks.”
Director of Operations for the Pinova Plant, Ron Kurtz said in a statement it was a difficult decision.
“This is a difficult decision, considering all our talented employees and the long history of the site in Brunswick, but one made after careful review. We are committed to treating employees with respect and fairness and to closing the site in line with our values. Pinova appreciates the value that employees have brought to the company,” Kurtz said.
Harsh said without jobs, he hopes he and others will be okay during a tough time.
“Luckily, I had a little bit of money spent up and like I said I do baseball on the side so I think I will be okay financially, I will definitely have to pinch some pennies here and there,” Harsh said. “Hopefully, all my brothers and sisters I worked with the last two and half years are able to find quick employment that compensates them good enough so they can move on with life and it doesn’t hit them too hard.”
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Pinova said it will provide severance, career counseling, and support for transitioning to future employment for employees. Pinova is committed to working with its valued clients to look for internal and other alternatives, as available.
Wind-down activities, including emptying tanks and disassembling equipment will begin soon, although full shutdown is expected to take 18 months. Potential future use of the property will be evaluated.
Before the fire, the site was manufacturing rosin and polyterpene resins used in various industries, including food production and some adhesive products.
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