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A northern Utah hardware plant employing 30 workers in Corinne is set to close Wednesday, and its equipment moved to another manufacturing company based in Idaho, the latest in a string of jobs losses in the region stretching back several years.
The Utah plant, owned by Nobilus Luxury (formerly Stone River Bronze/Hoppe, U.S.A) was sold to Corinne LLC, which purchased the assets. The plant is in the Agri-Business Park at 2705 N. 4600 West.
Corinne LLC in turn, has contracted with Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Hardware Inc. to continue manufacturing products for existing customers. To that end, the equipment will be shipped to Idaho, said Christian Nickum, president of Rocky Mountain Hardware.
Plant employee Jessica Schenk said she was notified about the closure last week, and on Tuesday was laid off. Hours later, she received a callback for a possible job with another company in Ogden.
Schenk, a plant employee for two years, had previously worked for La-Z-Boy in nearby Tremonton before that company moved its Utah operations to Mexico in 2008. About 1,630 workers were laid off. Schenk's father also recently lost his job at Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), which has reduced its Utah workforce by nearly 2,200 since early 2009 to deal with the end of the nation's space shuttle program.
"We're all frantically looking for jobs," said Schenk of the plant's workforce. "We all have lives and families to support."
Four plant employees, who decided to move to Idaho, have been hired by Rocky Mountain Hardware, and other employees are welcome to apply, said Nickum. Nobilus representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Rocky Mountain Hardware employes about 120 workers. The privately held firm, founded in 1994 and based in Hailey, also operates facilities in Blackfoot and Shoshone, Idaho.
The company's line includes handcrafted hardware for rustic log homes, Mediterranean-style villas, French country homes and more contemporary-style projects. Its collection includes door hardware, accessories, sinks, faucets, tile and lighting.
The firm began as a family-owned distributor and showroom for other manufacturers' architectural hardware. Over time it manufactured its own custom products for architects, designers and builders in the upscale Sun Valley market, according to the company's website.
The Utah plant, founded in 1997 as Stone River Bronze, supplies products to a number of window and door manufacturers, including Marvin Windows & Doors.
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