Bridgestone Firestone Cuts 81 Jobs at Two NC Plants in Outsourcing Move

Firestone Fibers and Textiles will lay off 81 workers at two manufacturing sites in Gaston County as the company outsources part of its production. The cuts will hit plants in Kings Mountain and Gastonia, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act report filed Tuesday with the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

“Ongoing changes in global market dynamics and supply chains are driving this change to the company's fabric operations,”  the company said Wednesday in a statement, per Business NC. Bridgestone will now outsource a product it used to make in North Carolina that was then shipped to Joliette, Canada. A spokesperson declined to identify the product. They also wouldn't say where the outsourcing will happen.

Seventy-seven of the layoffs will hit workers at the 100 Firestone Lane plant in Kings Mountain. Four cuts will come from an office on South Dalton Street in Gastonia. The Kings Mountain plant has 261 employees. Gastonia has 28.

Layoffs begin March 27. Forty-six jobs will be cut that day. The final separation date is April 28.

United Steelworkers Local 1133L in Kings Mountain represents all but six salaried employees. Positions affected include 30 direct cable jobs, as well as production workers, weavers, and material handlers. Some employees will have bumping rights under a collective bargaining agreement between the union and the company.

Firestone Fibers and Textiles operates under Bridgestone Americas, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The manufacturer makes tire cord and industrial fabrics for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Firestone Airide, and other commercial businesses.

The company opened its first plant in 1935 in Gastonia. The Kings Mountain facility opened in 1992.

The Gastonia plant experienced a setback on Dec. 31 when a fire broke out after 9 p.m. No injuries were reported. Firefighters determined the blaze was unintentional, but the cause remains under investigation.

The same facility also had a fire in September 2014, blamed on pieces of insulation surrounding the chimney that caught fire. That incident caused debris inside the chimney to catch fire. No injuries or major damage were reported.

It's the second round of layoffs this month by a Gaston manufacturer. Parkdale Mills in Gastonia, once the world's largest manufacturer of spun yarn, is closing its factory in Walnut Cove on March 13, cutting 72 jobs.