Fiesta Tableware closing East Liverpool plant

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio - The maker of brightly colored dishes, cups, and other tableware says the effects of the pandemic is causing them to close its factory in East Liverpool.
Fiesta Tableware Company says it is permanently close its Anna Street Street facility.
A notice required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act says 59 workers still on the job will be laid off and the 21 temporarily laid-off employees who previously worked there will not be recalled.
The company says the laid-off workers are encouraged to apply for jobs that will be available soon at the Fiesta plant in Newell, West Virginia.
“The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business has caused us to make some difficult staffing and operational decisions,” says Liz McIlvain, president, and CEO of The Fiesta Tableware Company.
The closure of the East Liverpool facility will enable The Fiesta Tableware Company to reduce overhead by consolidating resources into one main facility, according to a news release.
Some equipment will be moved to the main production headquarters in Newell.
“This physical consolidation will enable our manufacturing process to function more quickly and efficiently providing all the same iconic product lines. We’ll be able to increase our production rates and provide a faster turnaround, which is crucial in today’s demanding consumer landscape,” explains Mcllvain.
The active employees will be laid off in stages. The bulk of the layoffs will occur when production ceases, but some employees will be retained for a short period of time to complete the closure activities.
The company says layoffs will begin on February 11, 2021, or within 14 days after that date.
The temporarily laid-off employees will be considered permanently laid off effective February 11, 2021.