Commercial truck maker Freightliner has announced it will cut some 800 jobs at two facilities in Gaston County.
The announcement was made by Freightliner’s parent company Daimler Trucks North America. Citing a decrease in sales, the company said 600 workers will be laid off at its manufacturing plant in Mount Holly, another 200 will lose their jobs at a parts and logistics facility in Gastonia. The cuts take effect July 1 and June 24.
There are currently some 1,450 employees at the Mount Holly plant, which makes medium and heavy duty trucks. Daimler expects demand for those vehicles to drop 15 percent this year.
But the company also says these cuts may be temporary. Workers would be eligible to be rehired if or when sales pick up.
This is the second mass layoff at the Mount Holly Plant in the last 6 months. The company also layed off more than 900 workers at its Cleveland plant in January. That plant was not affected by this latest round of firings.
