Pittsburgh Corning Corp. has extended the eight-week shutdown at
its Port Allegany to a 13-week shutdown instead, officials
announced Friday.

The shutdown, which began July 1, was supposed to end late this
month but now will last until Oct. 1.

On Friday, Director of Human Resources Dan Lhota sent out a
press release explaining the halt in production.

“Pittsburgh Corning executives originally anticipated the
temporary production halt to last approximately eight weeks,” Lhota
said.

“The temporary shutdown was initiated to allow the company to
rebalance inventory resulting from lower than anticipated demand in
the housing market,” he explained. “Pittsburgh Corning has
sufficient inventory to meet the current demand of its
customers.

When asked if the factory would definitely reopen on Oct. 1,
Lhota said there is no guarantee.

“Oct. 1 is our best projection given where our inventories are
currently, and where they are likely to be Oct. 1,” Lhota replied
via e-mail. “We will continue to monitor our inventory levels and
will make that determination if another extension is needed as we
come closer to Oct. 1.”

He added that limited staffing is being maintained while the
factory is shut down “to support sales and distribution operations
and perform routine maintenance at the facility.”

A total of 70 employees – 35 hourly and 35 salary – are
remaining on the job during the closure, Lhota said. The facility
has 175 employees, 139 of which are represented by Local United
Steelworkers Union.

Lhota said the shutdown extension has been discussed with the
union, and all of the employees have been notified. The union
members are eligible for unemployment benefits.

He added that the company has weathered tough economic times
before and has managed to rebound.

“This is not the first time we had to take a shutdown to adjust
inventory levels,” he said, but didn’t give further details.

“While the slowdown in the housing and construction market
continues in the short term, we are fully committed to return to
production at Port Allegany to meet the future needs of our
customers,” Lhota said.

At full production, the facility operates three shifts per day,
seven days a week. The Port Allegany plant manufactures
architectural glass block products for the commercial and
residential markets.