Dozens of Layoffs to Hit Bluffton Manufacturer
(Image courtesy of PendaForm)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPendaForm Corp. has told 76 Bluffton workers they will soon be out of a job. In a notice to the state, the recently-acquired manufacturer said the final day for the affected workers will be March 25.
In December, Trienda Holdings LLC acquired PendaForm, placing both the TriEnda and PendaForm businesses under a parent, Wisconsin-based Kruger Brown Holdings LLC. TriEnda Chief Executive Officer was named new PendaForm CEO when the deal was announced. At the time of the acquisition, new PendaForm President David Kruger said:
The sales force, operations team and engineers are fantastic; it is a first-class organization. We will focus on providing resources for the employees, while concentrating our energy as a management team on big picture items. This is an opportunity we have been working on for months that will payoff for employees, customers and shareholders. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Kruger Brown Holdings touts itself as the largest heavy-gauge thermoformer in North America.
The 86,000 square-foot facility in Wells County has manufacturing, warehouse and office space with extrusion, thermoforming, robotic trimming and assembly capabilities. Prior to the acquisition, PendaForm announced a 2013 expansion that was expected to involve a $4 million investment in Bluffton and create 50 jobs.
Most of the displaced workers are full-time employees. The layoffs are expected to be permanent.