Rheem To Close 649,000-SF Plant

ATLANTA-Locally headquartered Rheem Manufacturing Corp. plans to close its facility at 138 Roberson Mill Rd. NE in suburban Milledgeville by the end of this year in order to consolidate its operations. A total of 1,200 employees will lose their jobs as a result, according to the Georgia Department of Labor business layoff/closure listings.

A 649,000-square-foot industrial-light manufacturing building stands on the 90-acre site owned by Rheem Manufacturing since 1977. “No final decision has been made on the facility’s future, but Rheem will continue to work with local officials as we make these decisions,” a spokesperson for the central heating and cooling products manufacturer tells GlobeSt.com.

“Unfortunately, the precipitous drop in new construction and the global economic crisis show no signs of short-term recovery, a situation which has forced us to take this difficult course of action,” Rheem COO Chris Peel, said in a media statement. The company also noted that the heating and cooling industry is down 40% since 2005.