HarbisonWalker International to close Sproul and Oak Hill Facilities

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA – January 29, 2018 – In February 2017 HarbisonWalker International (HWI) announced that it was investing $30 million to build a new, state-of-the art, technologically advanced monolithics plant in South Point, Ohio as the next step in its strategy to improve performance and better meet customers’ needs. The location provides unique transportation, logistics, and business amenities resulting in efficiencies not possible elsewhere. The new facility will be operational in early 2018 and will begin fulfilling customer orders with its advanced technology and processes. As a result, HWI will begin to curtail its manufacturing operations at its Sproul, Pennsylvania and Oak Hill, Ohio facilities in the coming months in anticipation of closing both facilities in 2018. Employees affected by this change have been notified, and both facilities will continue to produce and ship customer orders in process. Layoffs at both facilities will begin on March 29, 2018, and continue until the two plants cease operating.

In full compliance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act,
on January 29, 2018, HWI has provided the approximately 88 employees impacted and all relevant government officials with a 60-day advance notice that operations at the Sproul facility will be curtailed. The 34 employees at HWI’s Oak Hill facility will also be impacted and have been provided notice under the applicable labor contract.

“These are extremely difficult decisions, given the impact on families, residents, and the longtime presence of these plants in their communities. We explored a multitude of possible options before determining that we would need to cease operations at these facilities,” said Carol Jackson, president and CEO, HarbisonWalker International. “We are committed to providing our HWI colleagues in Sproul and Oak Hill with appropriate support as they make this transition.”

HWI will work with relevant government agencies, communities, and the United Steel Workers union to help make the transition for all affected employees as smooth as possible.