I had the day off today. One of my errands was to stop in at the old day job and pick up my homemade Easter candy. One of the ladies there makes the absolute best. OMG it is soooo good. You can’t begin to imagine how good it is.
I did have another purpose for stopping in myself instead of asking one of the friends who still works there to pick it up for me. Earlier this week it was announced that the company would be closing sometime before the end of the year.
Yes, I know. It’s a sign of the times. That doesn’t make it any less sad. The current parent company has other facilities and is absorbing some of the functions. Others will be farmed out to China. Still others are simply being phased out.
Many of the employees have been there a good majority of the thirty-five years the company has been in business. Hey, overall it was a great place to work so once hired people tended to stay. Those I used to work with grew up there. A few have met their spouses there and yes, both halves of the couples are still there. They had families and we all watched their kids grow up too. Kids that are now about to start college. Scary thought now.
People who thought they were secure are now facing the possibility of starting all over again in an area that is at the highest unemployment level of all times. In fact Reading has the second highest unemployment rate in the country. Not only will 160 people be out of jobs there but several small local businesses who subsisted primarily on what they supplied to that company will most likely not survive either.
So while I was there I made sure I wandered around a bit to say hello and goodbye to the people I miss. There may not be a specific closing date but I’m sure some will start to go soon and I wanted to make sure I spoke to them before they’re scattered.
I did have another purpose for stopping in myself instead of asking one of the friends who still works there to pick it up for me. Earlier this week it was announced that the company would be closing sometime before the end of the year.
Yes, I know. It’s a sign of the times. That doesn’t make it any less sad. The current parent company has other facilities and is absorbing some of the functions. Others will be farmed out to China. Still others are simply being phased out.
Many of the employees have been there a good majority of the thirty-five years the company has been in business. Hey, overall it was a great place to work so once hired people tended to stay. Those I used to work with grew up there. A few have met their spouses there and yes, both halves of the couples are still there. They had families and we all watched their kids grow up too. Kids that are now about to start college. Scary thought now.
People who thought they were secure are now facing the possibility of starting all over again in an area that is at the highest unemployment level of all times. In fact Reading has the second highest unemployment rate in the country. Not only will 160 people be out of jobs there but several small local businesses who subsisted primarily on what they supplied to that company will most likely not survive either.
So while I was there I made sure I wandered around a bit to say hello and goodbye to the people I miss. There may not be a specific closing date but I’m sure some will start to go soon and I wanted to make sure I spoke to them before they’re scattered.
2 comments:
I'm happy you dropped by. This is so sad and yes, a sign of the times.
I expect we will see more and more of this
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