Longtime Portland Company ESCO Announces Date For Plant Closure

ESCO Corporation - a global manufacturer of equipment used for mining and construction equipment that was founded in Portland in 1913 - has set a closing date for its main plant in Portland. The company says 168 people will lose their jobs.

The company will start firing people on January 2, 2017 and the plant will be completely closed by July 1, 2017.

“This was a difficult decision, particularly given the impacts on our outstanding employees, but a necessary one based on the realities of our business today and going forward," said ESCO CEO Cal Collins, said last November when the decision was first announced that the plant would eventually close.

"The expenses associated with operating our Main Plant are simply too high to justify, in part due to the challenges of operating an industrial facility in a Portland neighborhood, and the protracted downturn in our markets. We need to dedicate our resources where they will create the greatest value for our customers and this move reflects that necessity."

The company is not abandoning the city. They are keeping their corporate headquarters in Portland as well as their innovation center. Manufacturing will also continue for now at their Plant 3.

Photos courtesy Esco