Cleveland, Ohio-based Olympic Steel has notified the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry of its plans to lay off 105 hourly and salaried employees at its steel plate-processing plant located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It is as of yet unknown if Olympic plans to lay off additional employees at any of its 16 other facilities located in the eastern and central parts of the country.
The company also communicated through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice that it has reduced working hours since January 26, 2009 due to a sharp decline in business.
"It's not good for the community," Chambersburg Mayor Pete Lagiovane said to local press of the layoffs. "We're starting to see the effects of the recession, but it's not as bad here as in other parts of the state."
Olympic’s plant at Chambersburg, which opened in 1999, produces hot rolled carbon and alloy steel plate, stainless steel and other products, including hot rolled carbon coil. Last year, the plant underwent an expansion project that added 80,000 square feet to the facility, bringing its total square footage to 263,000.