Closing of Irwin Tools - maker of Vise-Grip - plant in DeWitt made official

DeWitt -- Employees of Irwin Tools -- the maker of Vise-Grip -- got the official news Wednesday morning that the plant will close at the end of October.

Employees were told during one of several meetings set for Wednesday, and they were given the rest of the week off.

Afterward, dozens of employees with hundreds of years of service at the plant crossed the street to R.J.'s bar and lounge, where they sat in groups, drinking soda or beer and wondering what the future holds -- for themselves and for their community of 572 people.

"I'm 56 years old. What am I going to do?" said Susie Miller, who's worked at the plant for 34 years. Her son, who was 4 when she began work at the factory, has worked there for 19 years.

Miller and her husband, a former Vise-Grip employee who accepted a buyout several years ago, own a home and several rental properties in DeWitt. Wednesday, she worried about property values in town, as well as about the other businesses, like R.J.'s, and about nearby Tri County Public Schools.

"It's sad," she said. "It's sad for the town."

Nearby were LuAnn Nickel and Lynette Jurgens, who have worked at the plant for 31 years and 24 years, respectively.

Both women's husbands lost their jobs when the Beatrice Vise-Grip plant closed in 2003. Both have since found other work, but Nickel and Jurgens worried anyway on Wednesday.

"All that we've known is working in the factory," said Jurgens.

Many employees started right out of high school, she said, and have never had to fill out a job application or make a resume.

Plus, she said, Vise-Grip employees were like family. Employees' kids grew up attending Vise-Grip functions, and many followed in their parents' footsteps. Jurgens, who lives in Beatrice, said she fears she won’t see many of her co-workers anymore come November.

Thursday, employees can attend one of two informational meetings about insurance, 401K and pension packages, unemployment and severance pay, among other topics. Employees said Wednesday they were told they’ll get one week of severance pay for each year they worked at the plant, with a maximum of 13 weeks.

As of Wednesday, the plant had 330 employees, down from about 500 just a few years earlier.

Production will be transferred, at least in part, to China.