54 Employees "Get Pink Slip"
At Clayton Homes, Monday

by: Bobby McDonald

It was a "rough" day for employees at the local Clayton Homes Manufacturing Plant, in Sulphur Springs, on Monday, November 1st, as 54 employees received "pink slips." "It wasn't a pleasant day for any of us," advised Mike Duncan, General Manager. "These are our friends and neighbors and here at the beginning of the holiday season, was certainly not the best of times to have to tell folks that they no longer had a job!"

Duncan explained that the "lay-off" was a result of the "sluggish economy" and slow sales in the manufactured homes market. "You know what the economy and the housing market is doing nationally, and our company, like many others, has experienced a slow market in purchases of new homes," related Duncan. "We were forced to look at an analysis of our business and the forecast for future sales and found that there just wasn't the work to merit these individuals and the jobs that they perform!"

Duncan advised that all "lay-offs" were direct and indirect manufacturing positions. Employees will be eligible for unemployment benefits and will receive any unpaid vacation time they have credited to their accounts.

"We hope this turns around and we can began rehiring these individuals," expressed Duncan. "These that have been layed-off will be the first to be re-hired, once we are back in a hiring position again!"

"We hate it and are certainly sympathetic to the needs and families of those affected," continued Duncan. "I appreciate the attitude of these employees that received the news, as they knew that it wasn't anything personal, but just a 'rotten' economy!"

"It's a real blow to our local economy!" expressed a sympathetic Meredith Caddell, CEO of the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. "Hopefully, this is just an isolated segment of our local economy, but these workers are contributing to our overall economy, spending their salaries at the grocery store, the gas station, and other places throughout our business climate, and their 'spending power' will make a large dent in local sales!"

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