A long-time Atlantic employer has announced plans to lay-off employees. Officials with Owner Revolution, Incorporated (ORI) told their employees Thursday about the expected reduction in its workforce, and in a Press Release Friday (Today) said  “A number of employees of ORI at its location in Atlantic…will experience layoffs, as a result of unforeseen business conditions due to a cancellation of its contract with a major customer.” According to some employees, the customer is YETI coolers.

ORI said in its news release, that they consider the layoffs to be permanent, and that “As part of the corporate reorganization, ORI will continue operation of its manufacturing facilities by maintaining its other customers and by obtaining additional contracts or new business.” They went on to say that “If these efforts are successful, some ORI employees may be maintained or recalled to work. However, because the success of such efforts are entirely unknown at this time, ORI has informed employees who are laid off that they should not count on being recalled to employment.”

In addition, the company said “Temporary layoffs that were previously announced on March 30th will now become permanent. Additional layoffs [were] expected to begin around April 21st (Today/Friday). The layoffs may come in stages, depending on the need for workers as the cancelled customer contract is completed. Layoffs are most likely to occur before June 30, 2017, but may be sooner or later, again depending upon the business need to maintain its workers as the full impact of the contract cancellation and the resulting corporate reorganization becomes known.”

Company officials stressed that the layoffs affect The Plastic Professionals in Atlantic, only, which produces a wide variety of rotationally molded plastic products serving the needs of many industries and customers. ORI’s other operations, including Schafer Systems, Connect-A-Dock, and Schafer Solutions, are not affected.

ORI has facilities in both Adair and Atlantic, with a combined manufacturing and office space of over 300,000 square feet. ORI was founded in 1986 and became an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) company in 1999.