DOWNTOWN OXFORD ? It’s not often you see a group of a company’s employees gathering at a local watering hole before noon on a weekday.
But that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday, Aug. 11 as employees from the Parker Finite Airtek Filtration Division facility (500 S. Glaspie St.) in Oxford Village began filling a table reserved for them at the 24th Street Sports Tavern.
They came to imbibe a few adult beverages, console one another, share memories and discuss future plans in light of the bad news ? they’re losing their jobs.
‘It’s just sad,? said Michelle Moloney, a marketing support representative who was among the first to get the ax. ‘I’ve been there for 25 years. I started there when I was 20.?
That morning, the Parker Hannifin Corporation announced it’s closing its facilities in Oxford and Baltimore, Maryland as part of a plan to consolidate two of its existing divisions into one, the Gas Separation and Filtration Division, which will be headquartered in Lancaster, New York.
‘I didn’t really think they were going to close. Deep down in my heart, I didn’t,? said Oxford resident Jackie Billgren, a manufacturing worker who would have celebrated her 35th year with Parker in January. ‘But they got to do what they got to do, I guess.?
‘I wasn’t shocked, just because of hearsay (in the workplace) and putting two and two together,? said a longtime Parker Finite employee who did not wish to be identified. ‘I’m sad. I’m upset.?
‘I started to see things on the computer that ? I knew something was going down,? Moloney said. ‘I was on pins and needles because I’m in the front office. I could see little things going on. I haven’t slept good for a week . . . Honestly, I was like, ‘Get it over with already.??
Closure of the 42,500-square-foot Oxford location will be completed by the end of January 2016, according to a statement released by the Parker Hannifin Corporation, which acquired the facility in the 1980s back when it was the locally-owned Finite Filter.
‘The consolidation is part of a broader plan within the group to streamline operations and reduce complexity,? the statement read.
Approximately 85 people are employed at the Oxford facility between manufacturing workers and office staff.
‘All employees at the facility will be laid off,? wrote Aidan Gormley, director of global communications and branding for Parker, in an e-mail to this reporter. ‘A small number were laid off (Tuesday), while most employees will stay on until December.?
The Oxford facility manufactures compressed air filters for industrial use and compressed natural gas filters for vehicles and fueling stations.
‘It was a really strong division in Oxford for a lot of years,? Moloney said.
Manufacturing operations will be transferred to an existing Parker facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Operations at the Baltimore facility, which employs 15 people, will be consolidated into an existing facility located in Lancaster, New York.
In its statement, Parker said, ‘This was not an easy decision to make given the impact it has on our employees, but it was necessary to maintain competitiveness and drive improved performance.
‘Demand for the products manufactured by these divisions cannot support the amount of available manufacturing capacity. The closure positions the business for future growth and takes advantage of synergies created by the consolidation of the two divisions.?
Oxford Township Trustee Jack Curtis, who chairs the Economic Development Subcommittee, was deeply distressed by the news.
‘It eats at my soul the effect it has on the residents of Oxford when they just pull the plug on a company like that,? he said. ‘I don’t know the inner workings of (Parker’s) finances. All I’m looking at are the personal lives that are touched (by this closure). There’s people that started careers there and built families and homes around it. It’s very emotional to see (Parker) pull out like that. It’s a big loss.?
Moloney, a former Oxford Village resident who now lives in Oakland Township, is more worried about her co-workers than she is herself.
‘I know I’ll be okay,? she said. ‘I’ll bartend, waitress, go sell cars. I’ll do something. I have other means. But there’s a lot of people there that don’t.?
‘There’s a lot of people there that are (living) paycheck-to-paycheck and it’s going to hurt them,? Moloney continued. ‘It’s heartbreaking to me that so many people are going to be out of a job.?
In its media statement, Parker indicated it’s ‘committed to easing the transition for all our employees? through ‘severance pay, company paid medical coverage and outplacement services.?
The company noted, ‘The closure of the manufacturing (facilities) in Oxford and Baltimore in no way reflects the performance of our dedicated employees.?
‘It’s just a business decision ? that’s what they said,? Moloney said.
Billgren isn’t too worried about the future because she was planning to retire next November. She’s just going to ‘miss everybody.?
‘It was almost like a family environment,? she said. ‘I had a lot of good years there. It was a great place to work.?
Moloney agreed. She described Parker Finite employees as a ‘very close-knit? group that did many things together, from hanging out at the 24th Street Sports Tavern to taking vacations.
‘These are my best friends,? Moloney said. ‘It’s like the end of an era. We’re all pretty loyal people.?
Moloney is extremely grateful to Parker for hiring her in May 1990 and providing her with opportunities to stay with the company. She started as a receptionist, then spent 10 years in accounting and when her position was eliminated, Parker moved her to marketing and trained her for the new job.
‘I’ve always been proud to work for that place,? Moloney said. ‘You could have tattooed Parker on my ass.?
However, she noted things changed for the worse when new management was brought in.
‘It was a really well-run business until a year ago,? Moloney said. ‘There was a lot of micro-managing going on in our division. It was just a different style of management than we were all used to. It’s been a different company to work for (over) the last year.?
Moloney said there was more pressure and stress in the workplace.
The longtime Parker employee who did not wish to be identified agreed the work environment had deteriorated.
‘I used to be proud to say I worked for Parker,? the employee said. ‘During the past year, I haven’t been able to say that.?
Curtis wishes that before companies decide to shutter facilities and leave town, they would first approach the township and/or village to see what could potentially be done to make it more economically viable for them to stay put.
‘Is there something we can do to retain these jobs and the tax base that they bring to our community? If there’s something we should be doing differently, whether it’s the village or the township, to retain these businesses, we need to find out,? he said. ‘At least come and ask us if there’s something we can do.?
‘We’re out beating the bushes trying to bring (new businesses) in here and all of a sudden, boom, this one slips out right underneath the door. And you don’t find out until it’s too late,? Curtis added.