Ireland-based diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp. will lay off 56 employees and permanently close its facility in Watertown, according to a notice filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
The closed facility and layoffs reflect the company’s decision to move its U.S. Industrial Control Division operations from Watertown to Juarez, Mexico, Eaton Corp. told BizTimes Tuesday evening.
ICD Sensors will remain in a separate, co-located facility with Eaton’s Commercial and Residential Distribution Solutions Division in Juarez Mexico, according to the company.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting the global economy and our manufacturing sites, we must align our business and plant operations with market conditions to remain competitive,” Eaton Corp. said in a statement.
Eaton Corp. is scheduled to close its Watertown facility at 901 S. 12th St. by December 2021, according to the company. Phased layoffs for the 56 employees are scheduled to begin Nov. 8, according to the notice.
Affected employees do not have bumping rights nor are they represented by a union.
The layoffs include positions in assembly, material handling, supply chain, engineering, maintenance, plant managing, procurement, quality control, inspection and more, according to the notice.
In September 2020, Eaton Corp. announced plans for a $24 million, 233,000-square-foot expansion of its Eaton Power Systems facility in Waukesha. The project will allow Eaton Corp. to increase the production of regulators and transformers, improve production efficiencies and reduce costs, according to a statement made previously by the company.
Eaton Corp. also previously indicated the expansion plans would involve consolidating operations at its other locations on North Street in Waukesha and on Hickory Street in Pewaukee.
