Pierce Manufacturing to Lay Off 325 Employees Beginning in the Fall

After expanding its manufacturing facilities here last year, Pierce Manufacturing will close its ambulance division and lay off 325 Bradenton employees.

After here little more than a year ago in a bid to save money, Osh Kosh says it was still losing money.

Oshkosh spokesman John Daggett told the Herald-Tribune:

"We were losing money on every ambulance that we made." 

Oshkosh spent more than $5.7 million moving the ambulance business to Bradenton, from Michigan and Indiana, and refitting the local plant, Daggett said.

The Bradenton-Herald reported that management at Pierce Manufacturing met with all 610 employees last week and broke into smaller groups to identify workers to be laid off. Layoffs will be implemented gradually. Those employees targeted for layoffs will be given bonuses to stay on until orders are filled and they are no longer needed in their positions.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that the first layoffs of Medtec ambulance workers will be in November or December, with final shutdown of production planned in the first quarter of 2013.

Daggett told the Business Journal:

The shutdown has nothing to do with the quality of work at the plant, but reduced spending by cities and other entities using ambulances has resulted in sagging demand for the vehicles.

The layoffs come as the Manatee Economic Development Council announced .