The Paladin Attachments facility in Akron is closing down its manufacturing operations and laying off up to 77 people, according to a federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice filed with the state.
The facility, owned by Epiroc Industrial Tools and Attachments, LLC, said in a July 19 letter to Akron and state officials that it planned to permanently eliminate all positions dedicated to manufacturing operations.
The letter said job cuts will begin in September.
A spokesperson for Epiroc, which is based in Sweden, did not respond to a request for comment via phone or email. A phone number for Paladin Attachments went to the company’s customer service department in Michigan; someone who answered the phone there could not comment.
The cuts come as the result of restructuring, the letter said. In March, Epiroc announced that it was splitting its Tools & Attachments division into two separate divisions, with one focusing on rock drilling tools and the other on mining and infrastructure attachments. The move took place after Epiroc acquired Stanley Infrastructure, an attachments company.
The Akron facility, located at 820 Glaser Parkway, is responsible for brands that make attachments for excavators, tractor loader backhoes and hydraulic excavators; modifications for backhoes, bulldozers, dump trucks, excavators, skid steers and wheel loaders; and quick couplers and attachments for construction equipment.
In a statement, Akron Director of Economic Development Suzie Graham Moore said the city will work with any laid-off employees to “help connect them with great work opportunities in Akron.”
“We are disappointed any time we lose jobs here in our city,” she said. “We continue to support Akron workers and our business community.”
