Ingersoll Rand to close Kent facility; about 69 employees to lose jobs

Industrial machinery manufacturer based in North Carolina

North Carolina-based Ingersoll Rand will close its Kent facility May 31. COURTESY PHOTO, Ingersoll Rand

North Carolina-based Ingersoll Rand will close its Kent facility May 31. COURTESY PHOTO, Ingersoll Rand

About 69 people will lose their jobs when North Carolina-based Ingersoll Rand, an industrial machinery manufacturer, closes its Kent location by the end of May.

“The Kent facility will close May 31,” said Matthew Fort, a company spokesperson, in a March 15 email. “It primarily produces material lifting and handling equipment and is part of our Power Tools and Lifting business.”

About 69 people will be affected, according to the Washington state Employment Security Department’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN). Fort said it impacts approximately 62 jobs.

“The move allows us to consolidate our Power Tools and Lifting manufacturing operations to other Ingersoll Rand manufacturing plants that focus on these products, which allows us to maximize production efficiencies and better support the continued growth we are seeing in this business,” Fort said. “This move will also allow manufacturing to occur within the same region where customers and distributors of these products are located, which improves costs and customer delivery times.”

The Kent facility is at 20121 72nd Ave. S. Ingersoll Rand has 66 service locations across the nation, according to its website, including six in Texas and five in California.

In January, all impacted employees were notified of the closing to ensure they have time to pursue other jobs inside or outside of Ingersoll Rand, Fort said.

Each impacted employee that stays through the end of operations will receive a severance package consummate with his/her role and tenure, as well as outplacement services to assist with resume creation and job searches, Fort said.

In April, local employers will be invited into the Kent plant to conduct interviews with employees to assist in the job search before their last day with Ingersoll Rand, Fort said.

Staff from the state Employment Security Department’s local rapid response team and WorkSource center will perform outreach to employees of the organization to ease the transition.




Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Business

t
Rite Aid expands Des Moines distribution center despite store closures

Company closing distribution center in Oregon; shifting operations to Washington

Anne Smith of Retro Emporium in Kent with an alien invader from "Mars Attacks!". Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Ack ack ack! Retro Emporium attacks with four Best of Kent awards

Since opening in 2019, Retro Emporium in Kent has been a favorite… Continue reading

Reber Ranch has been open in Kent since 1984. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Reber Ranch gets the blue ribbon

A pet store, feed store, grooming salon and veterinary office all rolled… Continue reading

Photo courtesy of Big Chicken:
The first Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken to open in Washington state is at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, with the new Renton location being the second.
Shaq’s Big Chicken partners with Kent’s Blue Origin for space postcards

Big Chicken postcards will be placed aboard an upcoming Blue Origin space mission

Courtesy Image, Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau issues warning about Kent construction company

DJE Concrete & Construction receives F rating from agency after failing to complete jobs

t
AWB manufacturing week tour makes stops in Kent, Auburn

Tour highlights Motors and Controls; Boeing Additive Manufacturing plant

Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing
June Paik (left) and her employees at Master Hair Care can work with clients for hours to find the perfect wig or hair piece.
Master Hair Care offers quality wigs, warm service for cancer patients

Located in Federal Way, this woman-owned small business is one of the most recommended in the area for people experiencing hair loss.

t
FAA closes Kent-based Blue Origin flight mishap investigation

Agency requires company to implement 21 corrective actions before next launch

t
Simpson Strong-Tie opens new Kent distribution center

Company makes structural connectors for construction industry; facility on former Boeing property

t
Kent salon owner bounces back from shop’s building fire

Wilder and Free Beauty Company sustains damage in Sept. 2 fire; seeks temporary location

t
Seattle Children’s to close downtown Kent thrift store

Kent Bargain Boutique opened 28 years ago

Dante is from the Netherlands and currently lives at Serenity Equine. He is a therapy horse who works with veterans from the Odyssey Project for Wounded Warriors. (Photos by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing)
King County horse rescue organization falls on hard times

The Serenity Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation in Maple Valley is one of the top local horse rescues, but it’s struggling amid the aftermath of the pandemic and the increasing cost of hay. The rescue will hold a fundraising benefit Sept. 9.