Penticton plant closes abruptly
Amajor manufacturing company in Penticton has laid off virtually all its workers and idled its production facility to prepare for a shift in business strategy. About 40 employees of Britco, which specializes in modular buildings for work camps, were cut loose on April 7, according to one of them.
“They gathered us up and said, ‘We’ll be closing the plant immediately,’” said the man, who requested anonymity so as not to damage his job prospects.
“They kept a couple employees and the manager, of course.”
He explained the company began suffering a few years ago when the price of oil dropped, which led to a sharp decline in business from customers in the energy sector.
Britco then tried to diversify into other types of buildings, including a 12-classroom school it shipped to Kelowna, but was unable to secure a steady supply of contracts, according to the ex-employee.
“Things just kept getting slower and slower,” he said, adding workers received their final paycheques on April 13 and most have now applied for Employment Insurance benefits.
Britco spokeswoman Meghan Cairns described the closure as temporary, and said the company intends to rehire the laid-off workers at a later date.
“Due to lack of work currently, our plant’s production has been curtailed or paused. But the objective is to build an order backlog, continue to build our strategic relationships and to reopen with the flexibility to build both commercial projects, which is what we do currently, and also add single-family homes,” she said.
Cairns was unsure, however, when workers may be called back or exactly how many pink slips were issued.
The handful of employees still at the plant is working to reconfigure the facility to handle residential construction projects, she added.
That shift was instigated by Triple M Modular, which announced its purchase of Britco on the same day the workers were laid off. Based in Lethbridge, Alta., Triple M Modular is paying WesternOne $2.5 million for Britco’s plants in Penticton and Agassiz. The sale closes May 1.
WesternOne also sold off its Britco manufacturing plants in the U.S. in a separate, earlier deal. Britco employed upwards of 170 people in Penticton when Premier Christy Clark visited the plant during the May 2013 election campaign to tout the success of her government’s jobs plan.
They gathered us up and said, ‘We’ll be closing the plant immediately.’
Former Britco employee