Viner Bros. to lay off 110 workers

PRESQUE ISLE — Because of a slowdown in orders for hand-sewn leather footwear produced by Viner Bros. in Presque Isle, the firm announced on Friday that approximately 110 employees, or 46 percent of the work force, would be affected in a series of layoffs by late June.

“It was totally unexpected,” said Philip Roy, general manager. “The orders had dropped significantly over the last three or four weeks and we were told it was a seasonal thing and that business was slow.”

Roy said the plant would consolidate its operations into one building and decrease production.

Viner Bros., a subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide Inc., came to Presque Isle in the mid-1960s and employed about 240 people. It operated a factory outlet store near its plant.

Prior to the slowdown, the plant’s annual gross sales were about $9 million. But sales are now projected at $6 million to $6.5 million.