Seattle, Washington-based Northwestern Industries, a glass fabricator specializing in specialty and architectural glass products and owned by Tokyo, Japan-based Central Glass, has sold the company and the new owner, Southgate, California-based Glasswerks, plans to shutter the Seattle, Washington plant in February 2020 and and transition operations to the company’s Yuma, Arizona facility.
The sale and move will impact 133 workers who have been offered the opportunity to relocate 1,400 miles South to Yuma. The decision to sell was driven by a global slowdown in construction and less projected demand for architectural glass products in 2020. The tipping point was the value of the plant’s 7-acres of Seattle real estate which is valued at approximately $30 million and which is not included in the sale. And, of course, the labor rate in Yuma, Arizona is significantly lower than in Seattle.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?