On Monday, 200 employees will be temporarily laid off from an area company.

Managers at the JELD-WEN Window Division in Hawkins told workers in January that some temporary layoffs would be coming. On Thursday, those employees were notified that the temporary layoffs will go into effect on Monday. The company says the workers will still be employees and will continue to receive health benefits for a while. It hopes to schedule hours for those employees again in the spring if housing construction picks up.

JELD-WEN says the layoffs are a direct result of the poor economy and housing market. The Hawkins plant employs about 700 people and makes wood-frame windows and doors.

JELD-WEN has also asked employees in Hawkins to take voluntary weeks off. Two weeks ago, 143 employees volunteered and this week, 230 did. Still, it wasn’t enough to prevent the mandatory seasonal layoff.

JELD-WEN Window’s statement to WEAU-TV:

Hawkins, WI – February 6, 2009 – In January employees of our JELD-WEN Window Division in Hawkins were informed of an upcoming temporary layoff. On Thursday, 200 employees received notification, which will go into effect on Monday, February 9.

We are not eliminating their positions and all affected employees will still be employees, retaining their benefits for a period of time. They will temporarily have no scheduled hours. We hope to be able to schedule hours again for all affected employees as the spring building season nears.

Temporary, seasonal layoffs are a standard practice among manufacturing companies and are especially common in the building products industry because new home construction and remodeling slow down in cold climates during the winter months. Temporary, seasonal layoffs by themselves are not necessarily a sign of a troubled economy. They are an indication that fewer homes are built during winter months. However, with the dramatic decline in new housing starts, national demand for made-to-order wood windows and patio doors has indeed waned, making a more severe dent in this winter’s order files.

[See http://www.census.gov/const/newresconst.pdf ]

The home building season could be more robust if more people knew about the building and remodeling incentives that are available to homeowners, prospective homeowners and builders. For example, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (October's famous “bailout bill”) reinstated or extended a wide variety of building and remodeling related tax credit incentives. There are incentives to replace windows, build with solar energy systems, and improve insulation, among other programs. Details can be found at the Energy Star web site: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits. JELD-WEN Window Division in Hawkins produces Energy Star qualified windows and patio doors that can help homeowners qualify for the 2009 window replacement tax credits and other incentives for building green.

About JELD-WEN

JELD-WEN, inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of reliable windows and doors. Based in Klamath Falls, Ore., JELD-WEN began as a small Oregon millwork plant in 1960 and has grown into a company with more than 150 divisions and more than 20,000 employees worldwide. JELD-WEN acquired in the manufacturing location in Hawkins in 1996. JELD-WEN operates 65 manufacturing and distribution locations in the U.S. JELD-WEN has been an ENERGY STAR® partner since 1998.

Teri Cline
Director of Corporate Communications
JELD-WEN, inc.