• E-Edition
• Home
• News
• Sports
• AP
• Obituaries
• Classifieds
• Jobs
• Autos
• Homes
• Garage Sales
• Coupons
• Subscribe
• Archive
• Services
• Contribute
• Blogs

Continental businesses waiting to see effects of New Millennium's closing

Share Story:     E-mail Story    |    Print Story    |    Comments    |   

By DARLENE PRINCE

prince@crescent-news.com

CONTINENTAL -- From laid-off employees to businesses in the town of Continental, the effects of closing the New Millennium Building Systems plant will be wide-ranging.

New Millenium, which made steel joists and decks for commercial use, is a casualty of the poor economy. The company informed its employees last week that it would be closing on May 3 and consolidating its business at its plant in Butler, Ind.

About 120 employees will be affected, with approximately 52 of those workers residing in the village and others in the surrounding area. A handful of the employees may be able to transfer to the Butler plant.

Connie Smith has worked as a secretary at New Millennium since it first opened in 1970.

"I was shocked and saddened when they said they were going to close," she said. "It was like a big family there. I saw them as they grew older through the years."

Gary Slattman, an inspector at the plant, said he started working there in 1971.

"I started there right after high school," he said. "Everybody there gets along. They were pretty close-knit. It was a big shock when they told us," he said.

As for his plans, Slattman said, "It's too early for retirement for me. I don't know what I'm going to do."

Business owners in the village are also mulling over their options after the news.

Bloomer's Boutiques and Coffee sells gourmet coffees, fresh flowers and gift items and also serves soup and salad several days of the week.

"It (the shutdown) was very sad," said owner Anissa Prowant. "It will affect us somewhat. People will have more of a grip on their discretionary spending. We are doing things to make items more affordable for our customers."

At the Pirate's Den, which sells pizza, subs and other food items, owner Todd Bidlack said, "It looks like after the plant shuts down in May, it will not reopen. It is definitely going to affect us. We just don't know how much yet.

"We rely not so much on delivering food for people out there, but on the employees that buy pizza from us in the evening and on the weekends," he said.

"One of our hopes is that people will stick closer to home to eat and will not go to Defiance or Lima."

At the Continental Main Stop gas station and carryout, manager Jackie Pipes expressed her concern over the impending closure of the plant.

"Yes, it is going to affect us," she said. "We get quite a few of the New Millennium people in here. It will affect sales of carryout items and also in the food court.

"I talked to some of the employees and they said they had a feeling it was coming," she commented. "They need to bring something else (like New Millennium) into town."

Jerry Hayes, executive director of Defiance County Economic Development, noted, "With a factory the size of New Millennium, the multiplier effect on jobs lost is three to one. For every job lost, three more are lost along with it." In regard to larger factories or businesses, he said the multiplier effect is four to one.

A meeting involving village and New Millenium officials, members of the Continental Community Improvement Corp., Putnam County commissioners and other officials was set for 4:30 p.m. today. One of the issues likely to be discussed is the status of the tax abatement granted to the company when it began a $14.1 million expansion in 2006.