Featured Advertisers
Snow Closings
Wed, Feb. 10  -   -  Mobile  -  RSS
YOUR TOWN:  Caroline | Culpeper | King George | Fredericksburg | Orange | Spotsylvania | Stafford | Westmoreland
  

Make a post about this story on FredTalk. Get a printer-friendly version of this page. E-mail this story to a friend.

Mid-Atlantic Precast in the King George Industrial Park makes concrete wall panels for hotels and other buildings.
SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Visit the Photo Place

Plant opens and lays off workers

The same day a King George company holds a grand opening, it gets bad news--and has to lay off workers

Date published: 11/14/2009

By CATHY DYSON

The day a King George County concrete company held its grand opening--and gave economic-development officials across the region reason to celebrate--the company got bad news.

Mid-Atlantic Precast learned that one project it was bidding went to a competitor, and a second one, a hotel for which Mid-Atlantic was ready to start production, was put on hold.

"We were counting on those jobs to keep us going for the next two months," said President David Stone. "So I had to make the sad decision to cut the work force to save money until we get something in here to produce."

Mid-Atlantic wouldn't give details on the number of people laid off or other reductions that went into effect. Office Manager Donna Cutshaw said several employees suggested cutting benefits to keep others employed longer.

Mid-Atlantic produces hollow-core wall panels that are used in hotels, dormitories and apartment buildings. It started production in the spring and held its grand opening in the King George Industrial Park on Oct. 30.

Mid-Atlantic was the only precast-concrete manufacturing plant to open on the East Coast this year.

Stone said during the grand opening that he expected to double his workforce when the economy rebounds.

This week, he said the company is finding fewer projects to bid and "slow payment from most of the contracts we have."

He hoped the "hard business decision" to lay off workers would keep the company in business.

"I figure that with saving as much money as we can now," Stone said, "it will postpone the complete closing of the plant in the next few months and position us well for the rebound."

Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
Email: cdyson@freelancestar.com



Follow us on
twitter
fredericksburg.com Facebook page


Date published: 11/14/2009


What do you think?
Enter your FredTalk username and password to post a comment on this story. If you are registered on FredTalk or another part of this site, use that login here. Otherwise, you can just REGISTER here... .

Posting guidelines

1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
2. Please avoid offensive, vulgar, abusive, hateful or defamatory language.
3. Agree to read & follow THE RULES.
4. Use the "report to admins" link for posts which violate the rules.

Username:
Password:

Post title:


Please keep it brief: (512-character limit)
Please make sure CAPS LOCK is off. Posts in ALL CAPS will be deleted.)


By checking this box, you agree to the terms of the FredTalk User agreement.