Mayor Calls for Community Support In Light of Plant Closure

Wednesday, 19 July 2017 at 07:05

“What’s most important today is to support the people most affected by this announcement... to know that their community is standing with them.”

TILLSONBURG - Reaction is still pouring in today after 340 workers at the Siemens blade manufacturing plant in Tillsonburg were laid off yesterday.

The plant will close by early 2018 and 206 people have already been given an immediate lay off notice. Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen Molnar tells Heart FM the community is going to feel the hardship and they need to put their focus on those who are most impacted.

“There’s no question our community will feel the loss of 340 jobs, but I also know the quality of our workforce and I'm confident that the work ethic and transferable skills they possess will lead them into new employment. In the meantime, we'll do what we've always done in these kinds of situations—we'll pull together and support each other, drawing on the various community resources we have available to us.”

He says the people of Tillsonburg will persevere through this and will rise to the challenge adding, “We've done it before and we'll do it again.” Molnar says they have already met with senior officials from Siemens and are working on strategies to help those who are impacted by the closure.

“What’s most important today is to support the people most affected by this announcement—the employees and their families. That’s our priority at this moment—to ensure that people have the support and resources they need, and for them to know that their community is standing with them.”

Molnar admits it was a tough day in the Town of Tillsonburg yesterday.

“This is certainly a hard day for our community, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the many benefits that Siemens brought to our community during their tenure with us. It was a proud day for all of us when Siemens chose to locate here seven years ago and we're grateful for the many investments they made since that time. In our disappointment today, it’s easy to forget the productive partnership that we've had together.“

Molnar believes many factors contributed to the decision to close the facility.

“The global wind market has been undergoing dramatic changes. The renewable energy sector and macro-economic situation is not at all what it was when the plant opened.”