Daramic has closed its manufacturing plant outside of Owensboro, eliminating all 156 positions.
Daramic is a global company that produces lead battery acid separators and has seven other production sites located around the world. According to a statement made to local media, the Daviess County plant was one of the company’s “older, less efficient production sites” and lacked “long-term profitability.” The company plans to move production from the Kentucky plant to its other sites to meet customer demand.
Representatives with the Local 726 International Brotherhood of Boilermakers told The Owensboro Times that employees were totally surprised by the closing. Local 726 President Dwayne Board said that following the Fourth of July holiday, employees received a message to not return to work and learned about the closing on a conference call over the phone.
“During that call, they announced they were shutting down the Owensboro site,” Board said. “Our Boilermakers union has been at that plant for 63 years, and it’s crushing to learn this over the phone.”
The company’s Owensboro Technical Center will remain open to support global business and ongoing research and development projects.
