Barnsdall’s Biggest Employer, NuCera Solutions, Closing Permanently After EF4 Tornado
FOX 23 - July 31, 2024 3:00 pm
BARNSDALL, Okla. — After an EF4 tornado hit Barnsdall on May 6, the town’s biggest employer, the NuCera Solutions plant, is closing permanently in 6-12 months after the May 6 tornado.
In a letter sent out to employees, the parent company of the plant, Chase Corporation, announced they intended to rebuild the plant, but it’s become clear in recent weeks that it’s not “financially viable due to the lengthy repairs needed along with the unknown future customer base.”
“The decision to phase out operations at the NuCera Solutions plant in Barnsdall is an extremely difficult and painful one. We love this community and had always planned on being a part of it for many years. Unfortunately, the damage sustained to our facility was extensive, and restoring it to a fully operational status is not financially viable.
All of our Barnsdall team-members will be paid and employed for another 60 days, and all will be offered a severance package after that 60 day window. We wish all our departing employees and the Barnsdall community the best, and we know that the character and resilience they continue to demonstrate will serve them well in the future.”
In a press release, Chase Corporation also shared what will happen to the people currently employed at the plant.
They said there are currently 93 employees in Barnsdall out of 122 working at NuCera. The total number of NuCera employees will be reduced to 50 to support partial operations in Barnsdall as the ‘phaseout’ is completed over the next 6-12 months.
All employees will continue to receive their normal pay for 60 days after the date of the announcement.
Severance will be offered to all employees after the 60-day window.
Every impacted employee will also have access free of charge to outplacement services, access to public benefits and financial coaching.
Chase Corporation said if any additional government resources or opportunities for help becomes available, they will let their employees know.
