Mayor ‘Hopeful’ Jobs Could Filter Back to Huntington

(Image of Huntington Mayor Brooks Fetters courtesy of our partners at WPTA-TV.)

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The mayor of Huntington says he has reason to be hopeful that 700 jobs slated to be sent to Mexico could remain in his city. In an interview with our partners at WPTA-TV in Fort Wayne, Brooks Fetters said officials from Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) told him earlier this year the cuts at its United Technologies Electronic Controls Inc. subsidiary were related to work force reductions at the Carrier Corp. subsidiary in Indianapolis. Because of this connection, Fetters wants to know if previously-determined cuts in Huntington will be altered.

He said "I’m hopeful that whatever announcement comes out of Indianapolis tomorrow that affects Carrier, which was explained to us here as the reason UTEC was moving their facility to Mexico, as well, negates a need for UTEC to continue migrating to Mexico."

A news conference is slated for 2 p.m. at the Carrier Corp. campus in Indianapolis. President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect Governor Mike Pence and officials from Carrier Corp. will be at the company’s Indianapolis facility to detail a deal expected to keep 1,000 jobs previously slated to be lost. Our partners at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis will be streaming the announcement live from the facility on the city’s west side.

There has been no indication yet from the company that plans in Huntington will change. Layoffs in Huntington are expected to begin in the first half of next year.