› More than 130 workers to lose their jobs when plant closes in Lookout Valley,

134 Lookout Valley jobs being moved to Texas and Mexico, owner says

The 134 employees at Robertshaw Chattanooga — formerly Burner Systems International (BSI) — found out Thursday that the Lookout Valley manufacturing plant is expected to close in early 2018.

Some of the plant’s production of parts for gas grills and gas stoves will move to Mexico and some will move to Texas, the company said in a statement.

“After thorough analysis and exploration of a number of options, [Robertshaw] has made the difficult decision to gradually wind down the remaining activities of its Chattanooga, Tenn., facility,” the company said in a statement released Friday. “Robertshaw is working closely with all impacted employees throughout the transition process. Severance packages, relocation opportunities and outplacement services will be offered as appropriate.”

Based in Itasca, Ill., near Chicago, Robertshaw has more than 6,800 employees in 11 countries. It bought the Chattanooga plant, which was headquarters for BSI, in 2016.

As it integrated the Chattanooga-based company into its operations, Robertshaw said it made a $1.5 million dollar upgrade to its Itasca headquarters and engineering center “to accommodate, relocate and consolidate BSI’s management, engineers, and back office.”

BSI was founded in 1960 in Rossville, Ga., to make tubular gas burners

for the heating industry. BSI had plants in Bedford, England, and Celaya, Mexico, and a total of 836 employees when Robertshaw bought it in 2016 for an undisclosed sum.

“In our 50 years of success, our work has received hundreds of U.S. and international patents, and we have sold over a billion components to the gas appliance industry,” BSI’s website says.

BSI engineered and manufactured top burner systems for gas cooktops, engineered tubular products used in gas cooking ranges, manifolds and burner systems for furnaces, the website said, as well as boilers and tank storage water heaters.

While Robertshaw is closing a plant here, other employers are looking for employees, said an official at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

“The good news now is a lot of companies are hiring,” said Sybil Topel, the chamber’s vice president of marketing and communications. “Companies are telling us right now that they need talent.”

The chamber will co-host its annual spring job fair on Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brainerd Crossroads at 4011 Austin St. Call 615-936-0448 to register.