VIRGINIA BEACH — More than 100 people will be laid off if a Norfolk-based company’s seasonal plastics business is not sold by the end of the year.
Due to increase in price competition from imported goods in recent years, 109 General Foam Plastics employees were notified in late July of possible layoffs when the company filed a Virginia WARN notice, according to president and CEO William Arnold.
The company has been in business for more than 60 years making seasonal plastics products including kiddie pools, Halloween pumpkin pails, and artificial Christmas trees, Arnold said.
Arnold says the company has begun looking to transfer ownership in order to avoid layoffs.
“GFP is actively looking for interested parties that may want to purchase any of its business lines,” Arnold said. “The company has issued a WARN act notice to its employees stating that if a buyer does not want to continue existing operations then operations will cease by the end of 2017.”
According to Arnold, layoffs won’t occur at any of the company’s plants in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, North Carolina or Mexico as the company will work to fill its orders for the Halloween and Christmas seasons.
“If we can find a buyer, we may be able to avoid layoffs entirely,” he said.
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