Ark. plant to end bus making; 477 jobs affected
CONWAY Ark. — The owner of a plant that has made school buses in Conway for decades said that it would end bus-production operations there soon, affecting up to 477 jobs at the facility.
IC Corp.’s parent company, Warrenville, Ill.-based Navistar, told employees of the plan Thursday.
“We have to consolidate our bus-assembly operations into one facility,” Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley said. “Unfortunately for Conway, Tulsa is a much newer facility.”
Navistar opened the Tulsa plant in 2000, moving into a former aircraft manufacturing facility. Wiley said a smaller operation would continue at Conway, making bus parts.
Wiley said school bus orders have fallen because of the economic downturn.
According to Wiley, as many as 477 jobs could be involved, either through layoffs or dismissals. He said layoffs would not start until Jan. 4.
Conway Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brad Lacy said the loss of that many jobs was horrible news for the community. But the impact is more than economic, he said.
“This community has been in bus production since the 1930s, and it was something we identified with our community,” Lacy said. “When you lose that, you lose a piece of your history.”
The company was long known as Ward School Bus Mfg. Inc. and headed by Charles Ward. Ownership changes led to different names — American Transportation Corp., AmTran and most recently IC Corp.
Related News
Alabama reports more than 3,600 jobs gained from Kia's Georgia assembly plantNovember 6th, 2009 Alabama credits 3,600 jobs to Kia's Georia plantMONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama is benefiting from Kia's assembly plant on the Georgia state line.
AP sources: Electric car maker to build plug-in vehicles at former GM plant in DelawareOctober 23rd, 2009 Electric car-maker to build vehicles at Del. plantDOVER, Del.
Arkansas Supreme Court says it will review SWEPCO case about the proposed $1.6B power plantOctober 22nd, 2009 Arkansas high court to review SWEPCO plant caseLITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Supreme Court said Thursday it will review a case involving Southwestern Electric Power Company's planned coal-fired power plant in south Arkansas.
Arkansas unemployment rate unchanged at 7.1 percent for September; U.S rate at 9.8 percentOctober 21st, 2009 Ark. jobless rate steady at 7.1 pct in SeptemberLITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas' unemployment rate held steady at 7.1 percent in September, though losses in some job sectors indicate an economic recovery is not yet at hand.
AP NewsBreak: Bobcat to close Bismarck plant, transfer jobs to southeastern North DakotaSeptember 2nd, 2009 AP NewsBreak: Bobcat to close Bismarck plantBISMARCK, N.D. — Bobcat Co., which makes loaders and light construction equipment, plans to close its Bismarck plant and shift the bulk of the 475 jobs there to its plant in Gwinner, in southeastern North Dakota.
GM factories that will see production increasesAugust 18th, 2009 GM factories that will see production increasesGeneral Motors Co. on Tuesday announced that it is boosting production by 60,000 vehicles in the third and fourth quarters as sales rise due to the Cash for Clunkers incentives and a recovery in the U.S.
Plant in Toluca, Mexico, likely to get Fiat minicar, not Michigan plantAugust 17th, 2009 Toluca, Mexico plant likely to get Fiat minicarChrysler Group LLC is planning to built the Fiat 500 minicar at a factory in Toluca, Mexico instead of a soon-to-be shuttered plant in the U.S. A comparison of the Toluca plant and the Sterling Heights, Mich., assembly plant, where workers had hoped to get the 500:
TOLUCA
Year built: 1968
Number of workers: 2,179
Square Footage: 1.57 million
Vehicles made: Chrysler PT Cruiser sedan, Dodge Journey crossover
STERLING HEIGHTS
Year built: 1953 as jet engine plant.
General Motors releases details on plan to assemble Volt battery packs in southeast MichiganAugust 13th, 2009 GM releases details on Volt battery plant in Mich.BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — General Motors Co.
Caterpillar to close plant in South Africa, 193 jobs affectedJuly 31st, 2009 Caterpillar to close South African plantPEORIA, Ill. — Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc.
Belden to cease production at Leominster, Mass., facility, eliminating 170 jobs by July 2010July 21st, 2009 Belden to shut down Mass. plant; 170 jobs affectedST.
Indian pipe manufacturer no longer planning to move forward with Arkansas plantJune 17th, 2009 Indian pipe firm no longer planning Ark. plantLITTLE ROCK, Ark.
General Motors says it will exit medium-duty truck business because it can't find buyerJune 8th, 2009 GM says it will stop making medium-duty trucksDETROIT — After unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer for four years, General Motors Corp. is giving up on its medium-duty truck business, saying that it will wind down manufacturing by the end of July.
Missing stop sign blamed for Ark. school bus crash; several children taken to hospitalsMay 13th, 2009 Missing stop sign blamed in Ark. school bus crashLITTLE ROCK, Ark.
Several injured in Ark. as truck slams into school bus; stop sign at intersection was missingMay 13th, 2009 Ark. school bus crash blamed on missing stop signALMA, Ark. — Police in Arkansas say a school bus has gone through an intersection where a stop sign was missing and collided with a pickup truck, injuring several people.
Mahindra opens defence vehicle plant in HaryanaMarch 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) Tuesday inaugurated a defence-vehicle manufacturing plant in Haryana's Prithla region. The Rs.400-million (Rs.40-crore) facility is expected to roll out 200 vehicles by year-end.
Loading ...