Business closings and the layoffs that follow can tremendously impact the communities in which they occur. This is especially true in small cities where there tend to be fewer career jobs available.

This is why the United States Congress created the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act in 1988.

The WARN Act is designed to protect employees, their families, and communities by requiring most employers with 100 or more employees to provide notification 60 calendar days before planned closings and mass layoffs of employees.

Unfortunately, for a small Wisconsin city with a population of around 16,000, that notification recently arrived.

 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Sent To Wisconsin Mayor

Hartford is a Wisconsin city located in Dodge and Washington counties, with a population of 16,000 as of the 2020 census.

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News recently broke that Harford Mayor Timothy Michalak had received notification that a large employer within the city would be permanently closing, impacting over 100 local workers.

That notice came from ALCOM, LLC CEO Larry Colestock, who said that Triton Trailers, a trailer manufacturer located at 857 W. State Street, would be permanently closing its doors effective Sunday, January 12, 2025.

The notice reportedly indicated that the decision to close was necessary to 'centralize operations at ALCOM, further improving their market competitiveness.'

The closure of Triton Trailers means that the 113 people the manufacturer currently employs will be out of work. Therefore, the notice was sent and the organization has taken steps to ensure the employees impacted will have access to resources and information regarding potential retraining opportunities, reemployment services, and unemployment benefits.

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Colestock says the company understands the "significant impact of this decision on our employees, the community, and all stakeholders involved”. He then reiterated the company's commitment to ensure a smooth transition.

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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

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