KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Oregon Tool, which operates a manufacturing plant in northeast Kansas City, Missouri, notified state officials Monday it plans to close the plant.
In a WARN notice uploaded to the Missouri Office of Workforce Development, a human resources employee with the Portland, Oregon-based company said 80 employees would be affected by the closure of the plant.
The notice said the closure is set to take place Aug. 2, 2024.
"The decision to close the Kansas City Blades factory and reduce the workforce was difficult given the skills and commitment of the employees at the site," Emily Lyle, Oregon Tool's senior vice president of human resources and ESG. "Employees impacted by the closure are being offered severance, COBRA subsidization, and transitional resources through an outplacement service provider. Oregon Tool will also coordinate onsite employee assistance sessions with the state’s Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development and with local employer partners."
In July 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency cited Oregon Tool’s Kansas City facility for violating the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, alleging the facility allowed hazardous, ignitable waste to build up on the floor, walls, ceiling and equipment.
The company was fined more than $337,000 for the violations.
Following the fine, the company agreed to clean up the facility and take preventative measures for future hazardous waste, such as installing controls to prevent its release.
Lyle said the decision to close the Kansas City facility "was not at all connected to a fine levied in 2023."
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