Thursday, February 11, 1999
Job market absorbs Brazos workers
More than 200 have switched
BY LISA BIANK FASIG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The tight Cincinnati labor market has saved Brazos Sportswear Inc. from one major unpleasantry as it phases out operations at its area manufacturing plant: massive pink slips.
Since Brazos announced in December it would close the Batavia Township plant, more than 200 of its workers have found jobs. The apparel maker had planned to release a sub stantial block of its 460 workers Feb. 16, as it begins dismantling the plant. Now, it looks as if Brazos will release just 20 to 30 workers next week.
“The labor market is strong and most of the workers have skills that were easily transferable to other positions,” Clayton Chambers, Brazos chief financial officer, said. “Folks have been leaving here gradually as they find jobs, which is good news.”
Otherwise, Mr. Chambers said Brazos is on target with the plant closing schedule, which should involve further employee reductions through this month. Some workers will remain for a few months as the plant operates at a reduced level until final shutdown.
Brazos, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, is closing the plant after a year of waning demand and higher prices. Brazos operates several other manufacturing plants, but the Batavia site, which handles the licensed-character business, was hit the hardest by higher royalty rates and minimum guarantees.
The company still has not made a decision regarding the location of its 25-employee corporate offices. With the plant closing, the corporate offices are all that remain in Cincinnati, and Brazos might decide to relocate the offices to one of its other plants in Washington, New York, Texas or Pennsylvania.
The brisk hiring of Brazos workers is indicative of Cincinnati's tight labor market, said Michael Laux, a vice presi dent/direct services consultant with Right Management Consultant. Unemployment in Greater Cincinnati continues to duck the national average, itself a low 4.3 percent.
“If you're in an administrative level, a paraprofessional level, you have your pick,” he said. “When you're looking at more of the hourly and production-type workers, it really is a good market for them.”
The only real issue for such workers is nailing down a comparable salary, Mr. Laux said. Wages at Brazos range from $7 to $8 an hour for hourly workers to $50,000 to $80,000 a year for salaried workers.
Brazos has made several efforts to find new jobs for its workers. In a letter to employees dated Dec. 16, Brazos supplied phone numbers for career placement and training programs and detailed various benefits to which the workers could be entitled, such as job training, unemployment benefits and job referrals. Brazos also has held a job fair to help workers bone up on interview techniques and write resumes.
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