Approximately 150 Workers To Be Idled At Vero Beach Factory

Some 150 workers at Piper's Vero Beach campus are going to be laid off over the next couple of weeks due to an industry-wide slowdown in airplane sales.

In a news release, Piper said "as a direct result of the slowdown in sales, Piper Aircraft will adjust the production schedule for remainder of 2015, as well as 2016.

“While the total number of impacted employees is not yet confirmed, the company expects that the reduction will involve approximately 15 percent to 20 percent of the current workforce.”

Piper spokeswoman Jackie Carlon told the TCPalm website that the company does not have to file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with the state of Florida because the reduction in the workforce does not affect at least 33 percent of its workers. Carlon later said that the company if offering early retirement packages to those workers eligible for them, and the total number of layoffs will depend on how many workers opt for early retirement.

Because of an incentive package offered by the Indian River County to keep the company in Vero Beach, the company must keep at least 600 workers on staff through the end of the year or return a half-million dollars to the county. Piper president and CEO Simon Caldecott said that the company would not drop below that threshold, and the current plan would keep 610 on the payroll.

“Piper Aircraft has experienced steady recovery since 2009, however, we are facing challenges and economic instability in several key regions of the world, including Asia, parts of Europe, and Latin America,” Caldecott said.

FMI: www.piper.com