The Owatonna, Minn.,-based company is closing its smallest branch to adjust to the current market demand of the glass market, said Kevin Anez, director of marketing and product management for Viracon. A press release said the plant closure is expected to last approximately two years, while the company works to upgrade and improve some of the plant features to accommodate new product offers.
The company is also discussing possible plans to relocate some of its employees to other Viracon locations in Georgia and Brazil on a case-by-case basis, Anez said.
“This was a very difficult but necessary decision that we had hoped to avoid,” said Viracon President Kelly Schuller in the press release. “Our St. George workforce has done a great job, but the prolonged construction downturn required us to act to improve our operating efficiencies and maintain our competitive position.”
Carrie Mayne, supervising economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said the loss of the manufacturing jobs from the Viracon shutdown amounts to about a 10-percent drop in manufacturing in Washington County. The Spectrum
