A Longview hat manufacturer has shut down its operations and laid off 68 workers.
RHE Hatco, Inc., which manufactures rough hat bodies that brand-name hat-makers use, ceased operations Feb. 27 at its plant at 302 Huntsman Way.
Devin Marcum, president of RHE Hatco, said in a letter to the Texas Workforce Commission that officials discovered that the facility needed repairs 性视界传媒渇ar more extensive than anticipated.性视界传媒
性视界传媒淲hile we had initially budgeted to repair these issues, the unexpected extensive nature of the necessary repairs is such that the cost to repair is far more than what we budgeted and what we are able to afford,性视界传媒 Marcum wrote. 性视界传媒淔urthermore, due to the nature of the discovered issues, we are unable 性视界传媒 to safely continue operations at the Longview facility.性视界传媒
The letter was sent to the workforce commission and Longview Mayor Kristen Ishihara one day after the facility closed. All employees received 60 days性视界传媒 notice pay, according to the letter.
The affected employees performed jobs ranging from machine operators to facility maintenance workers.
Hatco性视界传媒檚 Longview facility was built in the 1950s to make hat bodies from raw fur. Those hat bodies were then shipped to Garland, the company性视界传媒檚 main base, to be finished for hat brands such as Resistol, Stetson and Dobbs, the News-Journal previously reported.
Marcum did not return a call Thursday seeking comment.
