54 to lose jobs in Newport, Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD – At least 54 temporary full-time workers in Newport and Pittsfield, hired through an outside employment agency, will lose their jobs this month when GE Infrastructure Security closes a shipping warehouse in Newport.

Company officials said Monday that 24 people employed by the employment agency Adecco at the Newport warehouse will not be re-hired.

But 41 permanent GEIS employees will move to jobs at the Pittsfield manufacturing facility.

Another 30 temporary Adecco employees at Pittsfield will lose their jobs when they are displaced by the permanent Newport workers.

GEIS bought the former Edwards Systems Technology in 2004 for $1.4 billion in an all-cash deal.

GEIS is Pittsfield’s largest employer with about 400 workers at the main plant. The company makes fire detection systems and alarms.

The warehouse operations will be moving to Portland, Tenn., near Nashville, according to Stephanie Cart, spokeswoman for GEIS, a division of General Electric.

“This is a customer service-focused move,” she said

By moving the operation to Tennessee, two-day shipping will be available to more than 85 of GEIS’s customers, and three-day ground shipping will be available to 98 percent.

“In addition, our customers will now be able to get one shipment from Tennessee, rather than four or five different shipments,” Carty said.

Carty said the changes were announced to employees last week.

Newport Town Manager James Ricker said he has been aware of the changes and has been marketing the privately owned warehouse in Newport for months.

He said an article passed at Saturday’s annual town meeting changed the area’s designation from industrial to industrial-commercial which will greatly expand possible uses for the property.

“This will allow us to maximize the marketability of that property,” Ricker said.