MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) — LSC Communications, Inc. announced Tuesday it’s closing manufacturing facilities around the country, including the Mattoon, Illinois site.
Others being shut down are in Strasburg, Va., and Glasgow, Ky. The company says the closings are to “focus on manufacturing footprint optimization to align with industry trends” which will reduce costs and improve utilization across LSC’s production facilities.
The move means LSC has closed eight facilities across various business segments and reduced its workforce by about 2,500 people.
City officials in Mattoon and Charleston, Chamber Executives, Lake Land College leaders, and Coles Together, are already working to provide assistance to the employees affected by the announced closure at LSC Communications.
“While we acknowledge that closings and cutbacks have been a trend in this industry for some time as digital media and communications have outpaced traditional print communication, it does not alleviate the sting of this news” said Mattoon Mayor Tim Gover.
According to Ed Dowd, Director of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce, “our focus is on the employees, who are our friends and neighbors, as they navigate this difficult time” noting the economic development team has already assembled and organized to provide guidance and assistance to the employees.
“Not only are we working with the State of Illinois to bring assistance and training resources to the affected employees, but we have already begun organizing a local job fair” said Angela Griffin, President of Coles Together.
Dislocated worker services are provided through the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, administered by Lake Land College. These services can provide funding and support for impacted workers to attend a variety of training programs at Lake Land College.
City Administrator Kyle Gill added that once officials learn more details from the company about plans for the facility, they will work together to aggressively market it to new users so that it does not sit empty and unproductive. He stated “there are many companies looking for existing facilities and with the investment LSC and its predecessor made in the plant, it is likely there is a productive re-use for the site.”
