Incomplete list of announced closings & layoffs.
After 60 years Wisconsin based American TV & Appliance shutting down all 11 stores in three states. 1-thousand jobs lost! CEO Doug Reuhl blamed the “unforgiving economy”.
The largest pharmacy benefits provider in the United States, Express Scripts, laid off 100 people across the country! This is rumored to be the first round of layoffs for 2014. Last year they killed 425 jobs! The company has been restructuring ever since taking over Medco Health Solutions in 2012.
Arizona: The once profitable Gilbert Hospital is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. It’s blamed on everything from corrupt hospital officials, to a creditor suddenly calling in a $1.1-million USD loan, to Obama Care funding cuts. At least 100 jobs threatened! In Willcox, NatureSweet laid off 70 employees at their tomato greenhouse operation. Last year they laid off 65 employees. Please note that NatureSweet also uses prisoners as employees, and none of them got laid off. The Willcox operation used to be owned by EuroFresh, and back then they employed 400 prisoners. It was also revealed that for years there has been a “disease” inside the greenhouses, but company officials claim they have it under control. In Phoenix, the South Mountain YMCA shutdown, due to declining memberships.
California: Abbot Vascular killed 144 healthcare jobs across the Golden State! In Oakland, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center laid off 11 employees. In Pittsburg, United Spiral Pipe laid off 50 employees. What housing market recovery? In Irvine, Genpact Mortgage killed 81 jobs. They killed about 65 jobs last year as well.
Florida: In Sebring, after 26 years women’s clothing store Sue’s Cubby Hole shutdown. The owner blames health problems.
Georgia: In Moultrie, taxsucker Riverside Manufacturing shutting down their military uniform factory and warehouse, 140 jobs lost: “We worked diligently for many months to secure new contracts that required ‘Made in USA’ garments. However, a recent volume reduction in our largest federal government uniform program made the costs of domestic production unsustainable.”
Illinois: In Bolingbrook, supplier of food to the U.S. Department of Defense, Quantum Foods, now chapter 11 busted. Company officials are hoping to sell out to Idaho based CTI Foods, but Quantum’s 1100 employees being warned to prepare for sudden unemployment! In Macomb, Capitol Music shutdown. The owner, Eric Matthews, blames the bad economy saying “…the big thing has been the traffic count, declining sales in the music business and our inability to generate new customers….”
Iowa: In Des Moines, after 30 years Billy Joe’s Lounge shutdown. The owner said he needs to focus on family and other business ventures.
Kentucky: God refuses to stop non-profit KentuckyOne Health from laying off an undisclosed number of healthcare employees. The company has 15-thousand employees across the United States. KentuckyOne Health is a conglomeration of non-profit hospitals (the primary member is Catholic Health Initiatives) and is being adversely affected by government funding cuts brought on by Obama Care: “There has been a fundamental shift in the way health care is organized and delivered. We must change in order to sustain our purpose…..”-Barbara Mackovic, spokeswoman
Louisiana: The University of New Orleans warned of layoffs. The university has already spent the past two years making drastic cuts. They blame down student enrollment on Hurricane Katrina, saying the university still has not returned to the student population levels prior to the 2005 hurricane. And Louisiana Delta Community College wants to layoff 28 employees. The college has been forced to cut its operating budget by millions of dollars for the past several school years.
Massachusetts: In Boston, video game maker Irrational Games laid off “…all but about fifteen members of the Irrational team” in order to “refocus” its operations. In Ashland, after 25 years The Malt Shop liquor store shutdown.
Minnesota: After only five months Captain Jack’s Liquor in Janesville shutdown. The owner said opening his second store proved not to be worth the effort compared to his lost time with his family.
North Carolina: Duke Energy abandoning its wholesale power-generation business in the Midwest, because it is not profitable. This is because many midwest states have denied the outrageous rate increases sought by Duke Energy. Duke Energy is now selling off a dozen power plants, affecting 600 jobs!
New York: In Newburgh, Dr. Pepper Snapple shutting down by April, 35 jobs lost. In Tonawanda, Home Furniture Gallery shutdown. Store owners say the property owners refused to renew the lease. In Long Island, Clear Water Paper shutting down its tissue factory. 155 jobs lost! In Amherst, Medaille College shutdown: “The market environment has changed so much that the most obvious thing to do is return to the mother campus and adjust accordingly.”-Richard Jurasek , president
Pennsylvania: In Exeter Township, after 43 years Surgical Specialties shutting down their medical device factory and moving to Mexico to avoid new Obama Care taxes. 265 jobs lost!
Texas: After 107 years the last two family owned Edelstein’s Better Furniture stores were shutdown. The third generation owner said it’s clear that it’s time to retire.
Vermont: In Bennington, after 45 years the CTC Vermont Color Photo Lab shutdown.
Virginia: In Bristol, JCPenney announced they will shutdown in May, 67 jobs lost. In Reston, a Burger King shutdown.
14 – 15 February 2014: More mom & pops saying “It’s not fun anymore!”
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.
“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013
