Over 100 jobs to be lost when Bates Rubber in Lobelville closes, moves to Mexico

An article in the July 1, 2020 edition of the Buffalo River Review in Perry County stated Bates Rubber, Inc. in Lobelville will close. Several residents of Lewis County work for the company.

The article is, as follows:

“We have no comment at this time.”

That was the response to a request by the Buffalo River Review for information on the pending closure of longtime employer Bates Rubber, Inc. in Lobelville.

Employees were told recently that the plant, owned now by Park Ohio, a Cleveland, Ohio-based company, would be shuttering its local operation which is part of the Assembly Components Group.

The brief email came from Human Resource Manager Mark Only.

Lobelville Mayor Robby Moore was able, however, to provide more details.

Mayor Moore said he met with Plant Manager Pam McDaniel on Thursday, June 25. She informed him that the plant would be closing in the next six to eight months.

The operation will be moving to Mexico, Mayor Moore said, to take advantage of cheap labor.

The Mayor said McDaniel told him that Park Ohio had been anticipating additional revenue on several contracts with vendors for automotive parts, but the funds “did not materalize,” forcing the company to make the decision to close.

Mayor Moore said he asked McDaniel if the closure plan might change. She said no. He also asked if the county or city could have done anything to prevent the closure. Again, McDaniel’s answer was no, the Mayor told the Review.

Mayor Moore said he had already reached out to the Governor’s office and the Department of Economic and Community Development to apprise them of the situation, as well as to other elected officials at the state and federal levels.

He said he has also asked Park Ohio to provide building specs in hopes of placing another employer in the space.

According to Mayor Moore, the plant currently employs 112, with many of those positions filled by out-of-county workers.