Freeport-McMoRan Norwich plant closure
Freeport-McMoRan Copper Products (Freeport), also known asย Phelps Dodge, plans aย Freeport-McMoRan Norwich plant closureย at its copper rod facility due to a sharp business downturn during the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision affects the companyโs rod and refining operations at the Connecticut site, and you can learn more about the company at https://www.fcx.com.
According to a notice that Plant Managerย James Hodsonย filed with the state Department of Labor, the company expects toย permanently lay off about 117 employeesย starting in August. The plant will release aroundย 90 employees between August 17 and August 30, and then it will lay off the remainingย 27 employeesย during a second 14โday period that follows the first.
Reasons for the decision and future operations
Hodson wrote thatย Phelps Dodge Industries Inc.ย reviewed its Norwich operations because of theย dramatic downturn in businessย and the widerย economic uncertaintyย caused by Covidโ19. After this review, the company decided that the Norwich rod and refining operations no longer remainย economically viable, so management chose toย close the plant.
In a separate statement, Freeport explained that it expects toย gain efficienciesย by concentrating on itsย other copper rod mills in El Paso, Texas, and Miami, Arizona. Those facilities will continue to serve customers and help the company streamline production across its U.S. rod operations. More details on Freeportโs North American operations are available at https://www.fcx.com.
