Central Ohio’s jobless rate fell during difficult winter

Ormet will lay off remaining 42 workers at closed plant

Ormet Corp. has notified the state that it will lay off the remaining 42 employees at its Hannibal aluminum plant. The plant shut down in October, leading to the loss of hundreds of jobs, but the company has kept a small crew for security and maintenance.

The company said remaining employees will begin to lose their jobs at the end of the month, with a complete closing to happen by the end of July.

Ormet once had about 1,100 workers and was the largest employer in its region. 50th store, at Polaris Fashion Place.

The 92-year-old privately held firm is one of the few companies that make their shoes in the U.S. Allen Edmonds handcrafts its Goodyear welted shoes using a 212-step production process, the company said.

Since 2009, the company has doubled its employee count to approximately 1,000 retail and factory workers.

In celebration of the 50th store, a 15 percent discount on all Allen Edmonds-brand shoes, apparel and accessories is being offered through June 1. sixth for the company and the first of two planned to open this year.

Devin Fisher, a former Gap executive, is the head of the Columbus operation. The director of styling is Billie Bird, who worked in similar positions at Express, the Limited, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tween Brands, Eddie Bauer and American Eagle Outfitters.

The Hollywood, Fla.-based company was founded in 2001 as a photography studio for retail, fashion and manufacturing companies and has since evolved into offering various creative services for its clients. who greet customers when they enter and help them with their transactions instead of the traditional teller line. It also has a new kind of ATM that can, among other things, dispense cash down to dollar bills.

A PNC branch in Lewis Center has received a similar makeover.

Despite the harsh winter, central Ohio’s unemployment rate fell from 5.8 percent in December to 4.9 percent in March, according to the quarterly report by Columbus 2020, the region’s economic development arm.

Employment in the region grew by 1,800 in the first quarter of the year, slower than the job gains for the state and the U.S.