March 25, 2018 ...
EVEN WORSE THAN EXPECTED
It is being reported by Jeffboat’s primary union, Teamsters Local 39 that Jeffboat will layoff its remaining 160 workers and completely shut down their Jeffersonville, Indiana facility.
The decision appears to be based purely on the lack of demand for new vessel construction in a market where there is a surplus of barges priced less than new construction. An unceremonious end to the nation's largest inland shipyard founded in 1938.
Original post ...
Jeffboat, LLC, the nation's largest inland shipyard located on the bank of the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana and the longest continually operated shipyard in the United States has announced the layoff of 226 employees in the second round of cuts.
This comes as no surprise as shipyard staffing is contingent on the demand for custom ocean vessels, towboats, inland barges, and maintenance services.
The layoffs mostly affect welders, fitters, painters, and other union blue-collar positions. The reduced demand correlated with a reduction in the demand for commodities, including aluminum, coal, and crude oil that are normally shipped via the type of barges produced at the 80-acre Jeffboat facility. The facility also provides dry dock, repair, and machining services at its facility. The business is definitely cyclical and dependent on underlying commodities commerce. The 180-year-old business had up to 13,000 workers in World War II and the necessity of flexible staffing is a given. Jeffboat operates as a subsidiary of Commercial Barge Line Company whose fleet, primarily built by Jeffboat, specialized in the logistics of bulk and non-bulk commodity shipments via barge.
Are you asking yourself, Am I Next?