Omega Cabinets plans layoffs at Iowa factory

WATERLOO, Iowa — Omega Cabinetry, a subsidiary of Jasper, Ind.-based MasterBrand, announced layoffs because of a recent downturn in demand.

According to Emily Small, director of public relations with MasterBrand, Omega Cabinetry will cut less than 100 employees at its Waterloo, Iowa, facility.

“We are not seeing the demand we had been seeing,” said Small.

The Waterloo plant normally employs about 550 people, and layoffs will be across the board. Masterbrand is encouraging workers to apply for positions at the company’s other facilities — Goshen, Ind., and Sioux Falls, S.D., being the closest — with the possibility of offering some relocation assistance.

The company is also working with state and local officials to find new employment and other resources through its Employee Assistance Program.

On Monday, the company announced it is “rebalancing” operations to support its growth strategy, and the changes to the Waterloo facility’s staffing levels are part of the rebalance.

The announcement comes approximately two weeks after MasterBrand Cabinets announced it was closing its Lynchburg, Virginia, manufacturing plant, displacing 250 employees. The closure is expected to be finalized by mid-October.

Small said the company “has continued to see market conditions and consumer preferences change over the last few years.”

MasterBrand, which ranks #3 on the FDMC300 list, has been reorganizing its facilities in the last couple of years, adding employees in one plant, investing in other plants, closing plants, or eliminating shifts.

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Larry Adams | Editor

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).