CAMPBELL COUNTY (WSLS 10) - The Timken Company plant near Altavista is slated to shut down, according to the plant's manager.
The plant's closure will result in the loss of about 120 jobs. It's unknown at this time if any of the jobs will be transferred to Lincolnton, North Carolina, where Timken is planning to move operations as it looks to streamline its business operations.
This is set to happen sometime during 2017.
Town manager Waverly Coggsdale said he received the call this afternoon about the plant closing. He said the factory as been one of the largest employers in the town for the past 25 years.
"While it's just outside the corporate limits of the town, it's always been a very important part of our town culture and industry base so the thing to remember is the people involved, the people who work there and now they're faced with a difficult challenge," said Coggsdale.
Coggsdale also said the town has already reached out to the state to try to organize some resources to help any displaced workers at the factory.
Campbell County Administrator Frank Rogers said his office will also be working to help employees of Timken.
"We'll be contacting the state to see what kind of dislocated worker services they can provide and what other resources might be available through some of your traditional employment agencies, VEC and the web just to make sure folks are connected to whatever resources may be available and no stone goes un-turned," said Rogers.
Timken has not responded to our request for a comment.