A company that makes architectural precast concrete for major construction projects plans to lay off 77 workers at its Oxford facility in the northern part of the state, according to a filing with the state Department of Commerce.
Gate Precast says it will lay off those workers by Feb. 9, 2024, and that further layoffs of less than 50 workers will occur after that, with the plant permanently closing on July 1, 2024.
None of the workers are represented by a union.
With the February layoffs, the cuts include 16 carpenters and nine labor pourers, as well as five production supervisors and five quality control technicians.
“We have made the difficult decision to close the Gate Precast Oxford facility permanently,” said Dean Gwin, president and chief operating officer of the Gate Construction Materials Group, in an email to Business North Carolina. “The closure comes as a result of many factors outside of our control including a slowdown in new office construction as a result of work-from-home options, high interest rates impeding construction loans and the slow down in multifamily housing construction.”
The Jacksonville, Florida-based company will continue to service the Carolinas out of other Gate Precast facilities, said Gwin. It has eight other plants, including one in Tennessee and another in Georgia.
Gwin said the company is working with the affecting employees, offering relocation opportunities within the Gate organization and working with other Oxford-area employers to assist in finding alternative positions. Gate is one of the 25 largest employers in Granville County.
Some of Gate Precast’s past projects include Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves major league baseball team, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.
Gate Precast is a subsidiary of GATE Petroleum Co. founded in 1960 by Herbert Hill Peyton.