Wednesday, January 31, 2001
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Wednesday, January 31, 2001 |
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Photocircuits cuts 175 jobs at PTC plant By JOHN
MUNFORD
The Photocircuits plant in Peachtree City laid off about 175 workers Friday, a plant spokesman confirmed this week. The layoffs were tied into the cutbacks at DaimlerChrysler, one of Photocircuits' top customers, said superintendent Scott Formel. He also cited a slowdown in the telecommunications market as a reason for the layoffs. "They (DaimlerChrysler) are doing a lot of inventory adjustment," Formel said, explaining that the automobile giant is cutting back its orders with Photocircuits. Photocircuits manufactures printed circuit boards for use in automobile, telecommunications and computer applications. In cars, for instance, its circuit boards are used in car radios, dashboards and engine control boards, Formel said. Photocircuits, which began in Peachtree City in 1982 with approximately 50 employees, will still have about 1,000 workers on staff even after the layoffs, Formel added. The manufacturing plant operates 24 hours a day, Formel confirmed. Another Photocircuits plant elsewhere also had similar layoffs. But Photocircuits is still a very viable company, Formel added. The company expects business to pick back up in March or April, and if possible it will re-hire employees who have been laid off, Formel said. The company will work with its sources to help find jobs for displaced employees, and the Georgia Department of Labor will assist also, he added. "Those are good employees," Formel said. The layoffs in Peachtree City affected a broad range of employees but hit certain departments hard, Formel said. Typically, the layoffs are determined based on performance and not on seniority, he said. The company recently received the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Industry award for 2000.
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