By Wayne Gates
The Stanley Black and Decker plant in Georgetown is shutting down as of November 1.
That word was given to employees on Wednesday, July 10.
There has been no official public announcement on the closure from Stanley and there is no mention of the action on the company website. A company spokesperson responded to an e-mail the evening of July 10 with the promise of more information, but nothing was received at press time. Look for an update on this story in the July 18 edition of The News Democrat.
Georgetown Mayor Dale Cahall said he was disappointed to hear the news.
“It’s devastating to a small community the size of Georgetown. When 100 jobs leave a community of about 4400 people, that’s a lot of employment loss,” he said.
“With The hospital closing and Meadowwood Nursing Home going into receivership in recent years, this is another significant job loss.”
Cahall said that the strong national economy may be able to help Georgetown overcome the loss.
“The economy is in pretty good shape and employment is sky high. I don’t think there will be a long period of time that the building is unoccupied. I would have to think that someone would be interested in it,” he said.
“This gives an opportunity for our development community to have a ready to go facility in the village.”
Debora Plymail, Director of Workforce Connections at Ohio Means Jobs said that her organization is ready to help displaced workers.
“When we hear of a closing of any size, we reach out to the employer and tell them that we would like to come in and set up a rapid response session that allows us to give information to the employees that would be affected by the closure.”
Unemployment benefits and other information are provided to the employees as such sessions.
Plymail said that the closure can actually become an opportunity for someone who is ready for another career.
“If they are affected through a business closing or a layoff of any size, they can be eligible for retraining services. If they need their skills upgraded or if they are looking to change careers, if they choose an in-demand career field, then we can help pay for the training costs that are associated with that.”
Plymail said the money comes from the United States Department of Labor through the state government.
“The funds don’t have to be paid back by the employee. It’s not income based or anything. If you have lost your job through no fault of your own, you are eligible,” she said.
Plymail added that many employees have an emotional response to news like this.
“They go through a grieving process almost like a death. We also have a lot of information about how to get through a layoff and how to move forward after a business closure.”
Plymail said workers can access the Ohio Means Jobs website or call (937) 378-6041, ext. 261 for more information.
The local Ohio Means Jobs office is in the old Alvera Reed Elementary School in Georgetown at 406 W. Plum.