Officials working to replace jobs leaving DeWitt

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BY JoANNE YOUNG / Lincoln Journal Star

It’s probably too late for politicians to keep Vise-Grip tool manufacturing in DeWitt.

But state representatives, economic development officials and candidates for office say they are working to replace those jobs leaving DeWitt and prevent other companies from doing the same in the future.

Irwin Industrial Tools announced Wednesday the plant will close at the end of October and production of the Vise-Grip brand will be transferred to Shenzhen, China, where other Irwin products are made.

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Connie Deke, a 14-year Vise-Grip employee, walks across the street from the plant Wednesday. (Robert Becker)

Connie Deke, a 14-year Vise-Grip employee, walks across the street from the plant Wednesday. (Robert Becker)

U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Scott Kleeb said he had twice attempted to contact Newell Rubbermaid’s CEO and board chairman by phone. Newell Rubbermaid bought out the company in 2002.

So far, he said, their offices have been unresponsive, but he is trying other ways to reach them.

“The lack of advocacy on behalf of these workers is an absolute failure of leadership,” said Kleeb.  “These workers have given everything they’ve ever had to their factory and that company, and they deserve far more than 60 days’ notice. They deserve real leadership and a real voice.”

Kleeb said he is not ready to give up on a solution.

U.S. Senate Republican candidate Mike Johanns said the closing is unfortunate, especially in an era of rising  fuel costs when moving operations overseas should be less appealing to businesses.

“The cost of energy is so high that off-shore manufacturing is making very little sense,” he said.

In a free economy, he said, nothing  prevents a company from making those decisions. But he wants to do everything he can to keep those jobs here.

That would include providing  incentives and help to expand product lines, get needed new equipment and then provide training programs for employees to use that equipment.

Gov. Dave Heineman was in Minneapolis at the Republican National Convention and could not be reached Wednesday. But state economic development Director Richard Baier said the state will do everything it can to assist the factory’s workers and help to remarket the building and the area’s readily available workforce.

Notices have already been sent  across the country, he said, to those looking for places to do manufacturing projects.

Baier said the state had known about the problems the DeWitt company was having for a couple of years. In situations like this, he said, the state tries a number of ways to work with companies, including  meeting with corporate leaders, discussing developing new products and identifying ways to outsource parts or other aspects of production to other Nebraska companies.

The closing even caught the attention of Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who sent a statement saying his heart goes out to the affected workers and families.

“ I refuse to accept that we have to stand idly by while workers watch their jobs get shipped overseas,” he said. “That’s why as President, I will end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and reward tax credits to companies that create good full-time jobs with good benefits for our workers right here in the United States.”

Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.