Tyler Carrier Plant Closing Soon

TYLER � More than 300 employees at Tyler’s Carrier Plant will lose their jobs by the end of this year. KETK reports the company decided to move about 102 of those jobs to its civil manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Tyler’s Carrier Plant has been up and running since the late 1940s. “We have employees there that are multi-generation, second, third-generation families at that plant,” said Chamber of Commerce president Tom Mullins. But soon its doors will be closing, and about 100 employees will be laid off by the end of September, and even more by the end of the year.

“The current changes occurring at our Tyler plant are part of a phased project we announced over a year ago in which some positions will be moved to the plant in Monterrey, Mexico and some employees will be relocated to other locations across the United States,” said Carrier Spokesperson Michelle Caldwell. Caldwell said the company now has moved 102 jobs to Mexico. “Our manufacturing is moving to Mexico to take advantage of manufacturing abilities we have there and to be more efficient,” said Caldwell.

“$20 an hour plus health benefits here, versus $10-$12 a day in Mexico,” said Mullins. Mullins said Carrier is determined to reduce its labor cost. “Companies for the last 30 years have been moving higher paying, higher cost manufacturing jobs, usually at union locations — this was a union location — to other parts of the world where labor is cheaper.” Mullins said workers are frustrated and even volunteered to take cuts in their hourly pay. But Carrier is encouraging its employees to either retire, go back to school, or learn new skills for another job.