Ply Gem’s Stuarts Draft plant will lay off 53 employees of its workforce of 370 by Jan. 25.
Plant Manager Jeff Kratzer said the layoffs are due to a slowdown in new home construction and remodeling.
The Ply Gem plant makes vinyl siding and accessories. The plant formerly was home to Alcoa Home Exteriors, which was sold to Ply Gem in late 2007.
Rick Veach, senior vice president of operations for Ply Gem’s siding group, said consumers are forgoing both new construction and remodeling.
“New home construction has been in decline for a couple of years and it’s being forecast to be at a low level for 2009,’’ he said.
Kratzer said he was hopeful that further layoffs will not be needed.
“We are making adjustments to suit business. I don’t foresee further cutbacks,’’ he said. “It’s been a difficult week. But it’s something we need to do.”
In addition to the layoffs in Stuarts Draft, Ply Gem will lay off 20 employees at its Harrisonburg distribution center.
Tuesday’s news comes in the wake of area unemployment numbers for November coming in last week at just under 5 percent.
Economic experts such as Shenandoah Valley Partnership Executive Director Robin Sullenberger said it would be months before the worst of the crisis was felt in the Valley.
Sullenberger made reference to the economic crisis hitting the housing industry in particular.
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