'We were speechless:' fibreglass plant in Minto to close in March

A fibreglass plant in Minto is set to close in mid-March, resulting in the loss of 40 direct jobs, its quality assurance inspector says.

Reggie Barton, who is also a village councillor, says the vice-president of Canadian operations from the company that owns the plant travelled to Minto Monday afternoon to break the news to employees.

"We were speechless," Barton said. "We had no idea it was coming."

CBC News has contacted the RPS Composites head office in Mahone Bay, N.S., but has not yet received confirmation of the plant's closing from the company itself.

The vice-presidentsaid RPS Composites had to close its Minto plant because of a downturn in the fibreglass market, said Barton.

"They said all their feelers for 2017 are showing nothing for the Minto shop and 2018 is showing the same."

The employees were shocked.

"We knew things were slow at the plant," Barton said. "I mean, we weren't doing any production at all. But in this industry, it was up and down. It was always feast or famine with us."

The plant has pulled through slow periods in the past and the staff were doing their part, he said. Already, they were working fewer hours as part of a work-share program "to try to get through."

Now, 32 unionized employees and eight other staff members will be without work as of March 10, three days before the plant closes.

Their severance pay started on Monday and is based on their respective years of service.

Closure a 'devastating loss'

Now, Barton says he doesn't know what the plant's employees will do in a rural part of the province where there aren't many jobs.

He said the companywas one of the larger employers in the area and offered some of the higher-paying jobs. The plant employed people from Minto, Chipman and further afield.

"Speaking as a village councillor, this is a tremendous hit to our economy, with spinoffs going to the local businesses like the parts stores, the hardware stores, the restaurants. It's going to be felt throughout the whole community," Barton said.

"It's a devastating loss for the Minto-Chipman-Grand Lake area."

Pam Lynch, the MLA for Fredericton-Grand Lake, had a similar response.

"This will be devastating to the Community of Minto and another blow to rural New Brunswick," she said in an email.