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MADISON, WI (WSAU) — Mosinee Senator Cory Tomczyk and Glen Flora’s Assemblyman Jim Edming have signed on to a letter calling for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to step in after Jeld-Wen announced the closure of their Hawkins window plant.
The duo was joined by Republican Senator Romaine Quinn of Cameron on the statement, which read:
“We are devastated to hear of the closure of the window manufacturing facility in Hawkins, in the heart of the 29th Senate and 87th Assembly Districts. Jeld-Wen provides family-supporting jobs to our hard-working constituents and was the lifeblood of this small, rural village and the surrounding area. It is incredibly frustrating that the company did not reach out to local officials prior to making this announcement.
“Thankfully, the people of Rusk County are resilient and will help each other during this difficult time. It is our hope that, should this come to fruition, employees who are affected will be able to find comparable work nearby and will continue to call our area home. Our offices have been in communication with local officials and stand ready to partner with them to assist those affected by these layoffs. We are committed to working with both state and local agencies to provide any assistance possible to the individuals and families impacted.
“Today, we call on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to work with the leadership at Jeld-Wen and Rusk County Development to attempt to come to a better solution than closing this facility. It is our view that Wisconsin is still a great place to do business – that is just as true in Rusk County as it is anywhere else. Jeld-Wen is important to Hawkins and Rusk County – we cannot afford to lose them.”
Oregon-based Jeld-Wen announced the closure of two North American factories on Thursday. The second is located in Vista, California. In a statement, Jeld-Wen said the closure are aimed at “simplify [our] North American windows operations,” while also positioning the company for long-term growth.
More details regarding the timeline of the closures are expected in early May. Full shutdown is expected by March 2025.
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