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BUSINESS
Steel of West Virginia to lay off 53 employees
HUNTINGTON -- Steel of West Virginia will lay off 53 employees by the end of the month, a result of the weak economy and the slowdown in construction and highway projects over the winter months, President Tim Duke said.
Many were laid off this week, but others will be laid off in weeks to come, he said. Afterward, the company will have about 300 employees, Duke said.
Steel of West Virginia had about as many layoffs at the same time last year, but had hired workers back over the course of the year as business picked back up, he said.
"Our order book has fluctuated. At the end of the year, we'll end up at the same man count we had at the beginning of the year," he said."We're entering 2010 with a lot less finished inventory, and when it picks up, we'll be happy to call people back. It's unfortunate that we have to lay off employees."
Steel of West Virginia serves several industries. In addition to serving the automotive industry, it makes guard rails for the interstates, parts for fork lifts and for mine rails, and several other custom steel products.
Located along the Ohio River in Huntington, the business takes scrap steel and makes more than 300,000 tons of products a year, Duke told The Herald-Dispatch in 2008. "We ship 7 percent internationally," he said at the time.
