CLINTON, Iowa – A company in this community that could be cutting 51 jobs in the coming weeks but the region’s business advocate group has said it is ready to help the displaced workers.
Collis LLC, whose facility is located at 1628 to 1774 South 21st St., said it plans to lay off the workers by Monday, March 23. The Clinton company, owned by SSW Advanced Technologies, is a maker of steel, glass and wire components for appliances, such as refrigerators and HVAC equipment.
The layoffs were announced last week, and are expected to take place on or around Monday, March 23, according to the Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notification list. (This act requires employers with 25 or more employees to provide 30 days’ advance written notice of plant closings or mass layoffs.)
Chrissy Stec, human resources manager for Collis LLC, said the company had no comment on the situation. Messages from the QCBJ to SSW Advanced were not returned.
Stacy Borgeson, Grow Clinton director of Workforce Development and Talent Attraction, said her organization is prepared to help Collis workers impacted by the job cuts.
“Grow Clinton can assist with training needs to get employees upscaled to possibly obtain a different position within the company. Grow Clinton can also coordinate job fairs for individuals who may be impacted, helping connect them with other employment opportunities in the community,” she said in an email to the QCBJ.
IowaWORKS partnering
Grow Clinton works closely with IowaWORKS, which responds to WARN notices by visiting affected companies to discuss next steps and to identify business and workforce needs. There are opportunities to take advantage of inClinton for employment.
For example, Custom-Pak is currently hiring and provides a work environment similar to Collis, Ms. Borgeson added.
Grow Clinton also can assist with resume dissemination through the Career Access Application (CAP), connecting job seekers with local employers. Go here for more information.
“For individuals interested in changing career paths, Clinton Community College offers a Process Technology (P-Tech) program, allowing participants to earn a Process Technician certificate in as little as nine months,” she said.
