228 Briggs & Stratton Jobs Impacted By Production Move To NY

WAUWATOSA, WI – More than 200 local jobs at the Briggs & Stratton production facility in Wauwatosa will be eliminated after the company announced recently it will move some of its production to New York.

The Milwaukee-based company has alerted the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that 228 jobs will be lost at the facility that production of lawn tractors, riding mowers, snow throwers and power washers will be moved out of the Burleigh plant and to the new location at the end of August. The company announced that the operation will completely wind down by the end of the year.

About 184 of the affected workers are represented by the United States Steelworkers Local 2-232. Wauwatosa economic development officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the move from Patch on Wednesday.

Briggs & Stratton officials said in a news release that the company is streamlining operations and that employees impacted by the move from the Wauwatosa plant will be given a 60-day notice. The company announced a $145 million loss through recent fiscal quarter, which ended at the end of March.

In addition, the company failed to make a $6.7 million interest payment, but, at the same time, awarded executives and other top employees with $5 million in cash retention awards, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

Standby generators and the production components will continue to be produced in Wauwatosa and employees who will be impacted by the company’s decision to move part of its operations east will remain with the company through the end of August.