Cequent closing in Huntington

Published: July 3, 2013 3:00 a.m.

Cequent exit costs Huntington 50 jobs

Sherry Slater | The Journal Gazette

Another Huntington employer is shuttering operations.

Cequent Performance Products Inc. has notified state officials that it plans to close its Huntington distribution center before the end of the year, cutting about 50 jobs.

The news comes less than two weeks after Good Humor-Breyers announced it will close its ice cream factory at the end of July, putting 140 residents out of work.

The Cequent facility at 84 Commercial Road will cut jobs in stages, beginning with nine warehouse employees who will work until about Aug. 30, the filing said.

More workers will be permanently laid off near the end of September and the beginning of November, HR Director Bill Zoli said in the letter to Indiana officials.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires companies planning mass firings or layoffs to notify state and local officials at least 60 days before the effective date. The notice, dated Monday, was posted on the state’s website.

Michigan-based Cequent Performance Products manufactures and distributes towing and trailer accessories, including vehicle-specific trailer hitches, electric trailer brake controls, trailer jacks and couplers.

The company’s 10 name brands include Bulldog, Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch and Tow Ready.

Distribution operations are being transferred to other locations as officials focus on productivity as part of a larger reorganization, spokeswoman Christine Parker said.