Energizer Closure To Leave 165 People Jobless

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St. Albans took a big blow yesterday afternoon, with the announcement that the Energizer plant will be closing by next September.

165 people are expected to lose their jobs at the flashlight and lithium battery plant.

Company spokesman Ken Fields told the Burlington Free Press that people are using fewer lithium batteries these days and the flashlight production will be moved to other Energizer facilities. He says more people are using smartphones with rechargeable batteries. And they’re not using multiple devices like a pager and a camera.

Plant officials said it was an extremely difficult decision, but necessary due to dramatic changes in the market. The move was part of a bigger strategy by the company to cut its global workforce and streamline operations. The St. Louis-based company announced Thursday it plans to cut roughly 10 percent of its workforce as part of a cost-cutting overhaul that would eliminate about 1,500 jobs.

Commerce Secretary Lawrence Miller says Energizer officials told him that the company’s Bennington plant would not be affected by the restructuring.

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