Some American Lafrance workers who had spent decades of their lives working for the company came to work on Monday to find out it was their last day on the job. The rest of the workers at the Hamburg plant on Camp Road will be gone by the end of May as their work shifts to company headquarters in South Carolina.
For many years American Lafrance built fire trucks in Hamburg, but company officials in South Carolina say they need to consolidate operations because cities and municipalities around the country are cutting back and ordering fewer of their trucks. The remaining workers at the Hamburg plant did not want to speak to Eyewitness News on camera on Tuesday because they have about a month left on the job and they fear they could be fired immediately if they spoke out publicly. Company officials say some of the skilled workers such as welders and engineers will be offered jobs in South Carolina.
The L'Isola D'oro family-run Italian restaurant is right next door to American Lafrance on Camp Road. The restaurant used to get a dozen or more orders a day from plant workers, but they've seen the orders trail off in recent weeks coinciding with the layoffs. This comes on the heels of Camping World just up the road closing recently as well. The restaurant workers hope they can weather this economic downturn. "We just have to stay hoping we're going to do good. That's all. We're offering free delivery to businesses around the area. Hopefully they'll come in or call us and we'll bring them food," says Russ Schifano, the L'Isola D'oro chef.
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