Sportswear printer to pull out of Wisconsin; Johnson Controls to raise prices for auto batteries
Sportswear printer to pull out of Wisconsin
T-Shirt International Inc., a West Virginia-based printer and embroiderer of T-shirts, sweatshirts and other sportswear, informed the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development that it will eliminate 99 positions from its production facilities in Oak Creek and Franklin.
The permanent layoffs will occur in early June and will all be in production-related areas.
The layoffs are part of TSI pulling all of its printing operations out of Wisconsin, according to Jennifer Martinson, the company’s vice president of human resources.
Production is being shifted to its facilities in West Virginia and Indiana for cost-cutting reasons, she said.
After the June layoffs, the company’s Franklin facility will be closed. Sometime between July and September, the company will lay off its remaining production workers, Martinson said.
“When screen printing is completely out of Wisconsin, just office staff will remain,” she said.
TSI’s Wisconsin operations were formerly known as Crown Prince, which merged with TSI in late 2008. The company is now extending relocation offers to certain employees as part of the consolidation, Martinson said.
“Not everybody will be offered transfer (opportunities), but that option will be there (for some),” she said.
Johnson Controls to raise prices for auto batteries
As a result of rising commodity and handling costs, Johnson Controls Inc. will implement an average price increase of 5 to 9 percent on automotive batteries sold in the United States and Canada.
The Milwaukee company said the price hike is needed to offset rising raw material and delivery costs, including costs associated with improved packaging and transportation in support of safety standards from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The most recent price increase from Johnson Controls was in 2008.
Gasoline prices in the Milwaukee area have soared past the $4 per gallon mark and continue to rise.
