Pella Corp. announced today it is halting producting at its Tucson vinyl window manufacturing plant, a victim of the depressed new-housing market, according to a statement from a company spokesman.
The Tucson plant, the smallest in the Iowa-based company's operations, employs 65 people and is located in the former Weiser Lock plant near South Mission and West Valencia roads.
Pella opened its Tucson operation in 2006, welcomed with great fanfare by local officials. At the time, the company said it expected to employ 450 people in Tucson.
In March 2007, Pella officials said the Tucson plant employed 110 workers and predicted it could have as many as 500 workers within five years.
"This isn't a matter of shifting jobs to another location or outsourcing. It is a direct result of the dramatic drop in new construction from record levels a few years ago," said Pella's Corporate Vice President, Mark Hinkie. "The volatile housing economy and financial market turmoil has touched everyone from consumers to lenders, real estate agents, builders and manufacturers."
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The statement said the company would suspend operations at the Tucson plant in late November.