Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

January 6, 2015

Belfast manufacturer faces mass layoffs

A Belfast manufacturer said nearly half of its workforce will be laid off by March because of a steep decrease in demand from its largest customer: the U.S. military.

The Bangor Daily News reported that Group Home Foundation/Little River Apparel, a nonprofit organization that employs people with disabilities, is laying off about 60 of its more than 120 workers.

The layoffs are the result of decreased demand for the chemical  biological suits the organization produces for the Department of Defense. Group Home Foundation/Little River Apparel had a contract to produce 5,000 suits per month, but because of a slowdown in military activities, production has been reduced to 2,667 suits per month.

Salvatore Garozzo, executive director of Group Home Foundation/Little River Apparel, told the BDN that the organization is trying to find new apparel projects that would allow it to rehire some of the workers. The organization has other contracts, including with outdoor clothing company Patagonia.

Sign up for Enews

Comments

Order a PDF