OXFORD, Maine — More than 120 jobs are about to get cut in western Maine.
The Department of Labor says Keiser Homes is stopping all operations in the next 10 days.
When Keiser Homes closes, that means 123 jobs will be gone. This is part of a companywide closure. Keiser Homes’ parent company announced they are closing all of their facilities.
Signs the company was struggling came last month when Keiser Homes temporarily laid off 90 employees.
Those workers were told they would be rehired by mid-May, but Thursday they received news the company would be closing for good.
That means everyone, from the general manager to maintenance, will be out of a job.
The company says the layoffs will happen between now and next Friday.
“We are very distraught by the situation and working hard to do everything we can to keep the business going,” Jolene Myers, president of Innovative Buildings Systems, said.
Myers says they are hoping a potential buyer will purchase the company’s assets and take over the business. If not, layoffs will begin effective Monday night.
Myers says this is happening because leases were terminated last week at several major plants, which hampered the ability to sell assets. She says they felt it necessary to notify employees.
It’s very short notice for a company that’s been building modular homes in Oxford for 20 years.
Town selectmen say the thought of all those neighbors losing their jobs is very sad.
The Department of Labor plans on holding a rapid response session to help the workers affected by the closure.
There is also a scheduled job fair on June 6.