Carins Clifton NJ Helmet Factory Closing

[msm232 69]

This could be the start to the end of Carins helmets......

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

By DANIEL LOVERING

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mine Safety Appliances Co., a maker of protective equipment for the military, construction workers, miners and firefighters, said Tuesday that it will close a plant in Clifton.

The facility, which employs about 70 people, is one of two factory closings announced by the company. The other is in Evans City, Pa.

The Clifton plant will be shut by year's end, and its fire helmet operations will be shifted to a factory in Jacksonville, N.C. Many of the plant's 70 employees will be offered jobs at the Jacksonville plant or another company facility. The plant closure extends the exodus of manufacturing jobs from New Jersey. Last year, the state shed more than 10,800 such jobs.

Spokesman Mark Deasy said "it's hard to say at this point" whether there will be layoffs.

A company release said it may incur some restructuring charges in late 2007 and early 2008 related to the Clifton transition. These charges, if any, are expected to be modest and will be specified at a later date.

The company said the plan is intended to lower costs, improve operating margins, enhance competitiveness in key product segments and strengthen customer relationships. The company expects the initiative to reduce operating expenses by as much as $10 million a year once completed.

Mine Safety Appliances is based in Pittsburgh.

Edited February 4, 2007 by msm232

[IzzyEng4 427]

I don't think its the end, MSA has been looking to move the helmet factory to its other plant since they acquired them. There is still a high demand for them and I don't think they will stop making them in the foreseeable future.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Yeah, that just seems like they are closing a small factory in effort to make themselves more profitable... I wouldn't see any reason for Cairns to go out of business anytime soon, not with MSA running them.