Lyon Workspace Products may lay off more than 450 workers
By Steve Lord slord@stmedianetwork.com February 6, 2013 10:56AM
Updated: March 8, 2013 7:35AM
MONTGOMERY — Lyon Workspace Products LLC has announced it could lay off as many as 456 workers.
The Montgomery-based company, which makes work and school storage materials, gave that number in the January Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or Warn, report it filed with the state.
Companies considering laying off more than 100 workers must file a Warn report with the state. Lyon Workspace was one of nine Illinois companies that filed reports.
Lyon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January, with the intent of continuing operations through a possible sale.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said the announcement was “not good for the local economy,” but pointed out any layoffs at this point are not “a definite thing.” The company has to file in relation to the bankruptcy.
“They kind of have to do what they have to do,” Weisner said.
He pointed out that Aurora has been able to bring in new businesses, and has diversified its economy over the years.
Aurora’s unemployment rate was 8.6 percent at the end of 2012, compared to double-digit rates for cities of similar size.
“That’s not good, but we’ve had some success,” he said. “We have to keep working at that.”
A spokesman for Lyon Workspace Products did not return phone calls Wednesday.
