Leaders to tackle plight of River City

A top Shenandoah Valley economic development official plans to meet with state leaders after Thanksgiving to address immediate and long-term job needs in Waynesboro.

Robin Sullenberger, CEO of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, said Thursday that he had already discussed this week’s announcement of 110 layoffs at Invista’s Waynesboro plant and other recent job losses in the city with the Virginia Manufacturers Association.

“We are talking about ways to intercede and do things to be proactive in Waynesboro,’’ said Sullenberger.

The Virginia Manufacturers Association would attend the post-Thanksgiving meeting as would the Virginia Employment Commission, Workforce Investment Board and House District 25 Del. Steve Landes, who represents Waynesboro.

Sullenberger said finding a solution might take some time.

“We don’t want to overreact,’’ he said. “We want to be constructive for the long-term.”

In addition to those laid off at Invista, 120 workers at Mohawk Industries in Waynesboro will lose their jobs next month when the plant is scheduled to close.

On the plus side, Sullenberger said, workers at both plants “have tremendous skill sets.”

“We will try to come up with ways to retrain them or use their basic knowledge in new technology,’’ he said.

Unemployment in Waynesboro is hovering at more than 8 percent but will likely spike when December labor reports roll in.

Still, Sullenberger said the developments are not a complete surprise.

Both Invista and Mohawk provide materials for the carpet industry, which has been hard hit by the country’s housing slump.

Both Invista and Mohawk depend on new home construction to drive carpet demand, which plunged with the housing collapse. Recent hopes for a burgeoning housing recovery were snuffed Wednesday, when the federal Commerce Department reported that new housing starts in October fell 10.6 percent from the previous month.

“The companies affected in the specific sectors are the ones hardest hit by the economic downturn,’’ Sullenberger said. “We don’t want to downplay this locally, but it’s not totally surprising. The companies’ representations are very plausible to keep their companies stable for the future.”

On Wednesday, Mike Laczynski, manager of Invista’s Waynesboro plant, said the layoffs represented “difficult decisions to increase our chances for success in the global marketplace.” Restructuring was necessary, he said, to “enhance the viability of the Waynesboro site.”

Speaking at a breakfast meeting only hours before the Invista layoffs were announced, Landes told of his plans to pursue a satellite manufacturing training center in Waynesboro that would train workers and utilize teachers from area colleges and universities.

Sullenberger said Landes’ understanding of the situation and veteran status in the General Assembly would benefit the strategy to revitalize Waynesboro.

“Having Steve in a position to understand the situation and be in an influential legislative role is a tremendous benefit here. He works hard to understand the needs of the business community,’’ Sullenberger said.