A total of 170 jobs will be lost by the end of 2018 as a manufacturing plant in Woodstock shuts its doors.
Workers at Firestone Fibres and Textiles learned of the plant’s closure Wednesday morning. They were then sent home for the day.
The plant has been in operation for more than 80 years. Currently, it makes nylon cord for Firestone-branded tires.
A spokesperson for Bridgestone, which owns the plant, says some production will be moved to a facility in North Carolina, although a drop in demand means much of the work done in Woodstock will simply be stopped.
Layoffs are expected to begin in late 2017, with 35 salaried employees and 135 hourly employees affected. The company says the layoffs will occur in phases.
