thanks to Serious Stuff for alerting us of this article in the Columbian.
Saturday, June 13 | 12:05 a.m.
BY JULIA ANDERSON
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER
“A Washougal plant that has produced sapphire substrates for the LED (light-emitting diode) industry is closing.
Saint-Gobain Crystals gave notice Friday to the Washington Employment Security Department that 58 workers at the plant at 750 S. 32nd St. will lose their jobs starting in August.
Liz Garvison, human resources manager in Washougal, confirmed the shutdown and said the plant closure would begin Aug. 10 and be completed about Sept. 18.
“This closure in no way reflects the dedication and effort of the Washougal team,” Garvison said. “The global recession has aggravated business conditions to the extent that we can’t continue operations.”
Established by Union Carbide Co. in the 1970s, the Washougal operation was owned by an interim operator in the 1990s and then purchased in 1999 by Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Inc., a subsidiary of French-owned Campagnie de Saint-Gobain headquartered in Paris.
The local business is one of several divisions of Saint-Gobain in the U.S., but the only one being closed. Others are in Boulder, Colo., Merrimack, N.H., and elsewhere.
As required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the company filed 60-day closure notices to workers and to the state employment department.
The Washougal closure is the latest blow to the manufacturing industry in Clark County. Local manufacturers, who have been battling weak markets, higher operating costs and global competition, have shed 900 jobs in the county in the 12 months through April.
Saint-Gobain produced substrates for LEDs and made wafers for silicon on sapphire applications going into a variety of industries.
Real estate outlook
Saint-Gobain owns the Washougal property, which includes 75,000 square feet in three buildings and the 11-acre site. The property is adjacent to Port of Camas-Washougal’s business park.
Bill Seiberlich, Saint-Gobain spokesman in Valley Forge, Pa., said one of the three buildings was occupied by a lease tenant.
“We do not intend to reopen or reuse the facility and ultimately will try to sell the property,” Seiberlich said. No real estate broker has been selected to market the site.
Dave Ripp, port executive director, said he learned of the closure on Thursday.
“These were good manufacturing jobs,” Ripp said. “Fortunately, we’re working on some projects that may make up for some of these jobs.”