LISTEN: 2,100 Workers at Risk as Goodyear Looks to Close NC Plant

According to the Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, the plant employed more than 2,100 workers as of February of last year, making it the fifth largest employer in the county.Unfortunately these workers may be coming to the end of the line at Goodyear, as the company revealed that is looking to wind down the facility.According to the Fayetteville Observer, Goodyear is in talks with the United Steelworkers Union on a plan to close the factory by the end of 2027. A company spokesperson said that, despite “extensive efforts” to make the facility competitive, this action is “necessary to strengthen Goodyear’s ability to compete.”Goodyear CEO Mark Stewart, in reporting the company’s dismal Q1 performance early this month, said its $249 million net loss “reflected a challenging environment, marked by weak consumer industry demand.” The business pointed to lower rates of OEM purchasing as well as fewer consumers replacing their tires.Stewart added that “increased pressure on industry demand and higher raw material costs stemming from the conflict in the Middle East” meant the company would “take meaningful actions to strengthen [its] cost structure." CityViewNC described the Fayetteville Goodyear plant as “a relatively rare manufacturing operation in a community with an economy dominated by lower-wage retail, rental, real estate, and service businesses that cater to the military families and defense workers of Fort Bragg, one of the largest military bases in the world.”The facility in Fayetteville is heavily represented by the United Steelworkers, though the union has yet to comment.#Goodyear #Manufacturing #FactoryClosure #NorthCarolina #TireIndustry #Layoffs #UnitedSteelworkers #USW #IndustrialNews #ManufacturingJobs #FactoryWorkers #AutomotiveIndustry #SupplyChain #EconomicImpact #FayettevilleNC #IndustryNews #BusinessNews #AmericanManufacturing #TireManufacturing #FactoryShutdown #LaborNews #AutomotiveManufacturing #OEM #IndustrialEconomy #GoodyearTires #ManufacturingCrisis #Workforce #MadeInAmerica #IndustrialJobs #EconomicDevelopment