Hundreds of Stanley Black & Decker layoffs begin as New Britain factory closes
Hundreds of workers at Stanley Black & Decker in New Britain are facing layoffs as the company begins closing a local factory, citing reduced demand for certain measuring tapes.
The layoffs, first announced several months ago, are now taking effect. In the company’s notice to the state, about 300 workers were expected to be let go starting on Monday. Cuts began with hourly employees, according to sources.
“I feel bad for those families,” said Adriel Burgos of New Britain. “It’s the beginning of summer. It’s like pulling the rug from under them.”
The company previously said it planned to close its Myrtle Street facility because of a drop in demand for single-sided tape measures.
“I feel for them because I know what that feels like,” said Mary Burgos of New Britain. “I’ve also been laid off or unemployed from a previous job.”
Stanley Black & Decker has been based in New Britain for more than 180 years and continues to maintain its headquarters there.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said, in part:
“We are focused on supporting impacted employees through this transition, including providing options for employment at other facilities, severance, and job placement support services for both salaried and hourly employees.”
State officials say they are working to help displaced workers find new jobs. While the economy remains challenging for some job seekers, labor and manufacturing experts say these workers may have better prospects.
“It’s not necessarily an indictment of manufacturing in the state of Connecticut,” said Paul Lavoie, vice president of innovation and applied technology at the University of New Haven and the state’s former chief manufacturing officer.
Lavoie said Connecticut’s manufacturing sector is largely focused on high-value products such as jet engines, submarines, and other advanced technology, and that there are roughly 7,000 open manufacturing jobs statewide.
“Connecticut manufacturers, their single biggest challenge is the lack of an available and skilled workforce,” Lavoie said. “And so, when something like this happens, and you have a highly trained workforce that Stanley Black & Decker has invested in, these people become highly marketable and highly employable across all kinds of different manufacturing businesses here in the state.”
The state Department of Labor says affected workers can contact their local American Job Center for assistance, including help with resumes, job coaching, and interview skills.
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