Lund lays off 140 workers

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. – Lund Boats has laid off about 140 workers at its New York Mills, Minn., manufacturing facility, the Pernham Enterprise newspaper reported in a story on the DL-Online Web site Wednesday.

The bulk of the layoffs were announced at a Nov. 4 staff meeting, when 114 employees were let go. Another 30 were reportedly laid off the week before, according to the story.

Both hourly and salaried employees were among those laid off. There were previously about 400 workers at the New York Mills plant.

The announcement came only days prior to a one-week production shutdown at the plant, which went into effect Nov. 10. The manufacturing halt had been scheduled previously, and such shutdowns have not been uncommon at the plant, the newspaper reported.

“It’s a reflection of the current market and economic conditions,” said Dan Kubera, spokesperson for Brunswick Corporation, Lund Boats’ parent company, was quoted as saying.

Kubera couldn’t comment on whether or not the layoffs were permanent. However, one employee, who had worked at Lund for 38 years before being laid off last week and asked that his name not be used, was not optimistic he and others would return to the plant.

“We were told we won’t be coming back,” he told the Pernham Enterprise. “They wouldn’t give us a straight answer but I don’t expect to go back. And with the economy, that’s understandable.”

The last time Lund had a major layoff was about three years ago when 25 percent, or about 150 employees, were laid off. Most of those positions were eventually filled before these most recent cuts, the newspaper reported.

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