Featured Video
Check out these informative videos from Rural Lifestyle Dealer.
Register today!
Register at the Rural Lifestyle Dealer Web site and get members- only access to the latest and greatest information in the Rural Lifestyle marketplace. Don't miss out; register today!
Exmark Announces Summer Production Shutdown
BEATRICE, Neb. — With demand down, Exmark Manufacturing announced a summer shutdown this week that will impact 175 full-time employees.
Exmark, which has been in business in Gage County for 27 years, manufactures professional turf care equipment including lawn mowers and lawn mower parts. The company routinely shuts down for a period of time each summer, though company officials admitted this summer's shutdown is significantly larger than past years.
The layoff of 175 workers accounts for nearly all of the company's hourly workers, according to Branden Happel, public relations official with Toro Company, Exmark's parent company.
"We're taking steps to align our business for reduced demand," Happel said. "It's expected that employees could start returning as soon as early September. Some activities like welding and painting could return in advance of that."
In April, Exmark laid off 80 full-time employees and all seasonal workers. At the time, the company said another round of layoffs were likely in August.
At that time, Exmark consolidated its three shifts into two operating shifts.
A company spokesman said employees would be hired back as soon as production demand increases, admitting that's not likely to be until the start of the next fiscal year, which is in October.
In addition to the hourly workers, Happel noted that Toro Company announced more company-wide cuts Thursday of salaried office positions. He could not provide an exact number, but Nebraska Workforce Development had received reports of 15 permanent layoffs of salaried workers at Exmark as of Thursday.
Prior to the April lay-offs and the recent shutdown, Exmark reported 437 employees at its Beatrice facility.
"We typically have summer shutdowns," Happel explained. "This one has just been to a larger scale due to market conditions. We regret the impact this has on our valued employees, obviously it's a very difficult situation for all of us."
