Great Lakes Polymer Technologies plant in Albert Lea to close

Great Lakes Polymer Technologies Holdings LLC will shut its Albert Lea plant beginning in late September and will lay off 91 workers, the company told the state in a notice filing on Friday.

The letter, sent in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), informed state officials that the closure was expected to be permanent, and that layoffs would likely occur between Sept. 25 and Oct. 8.

Great Lakes Polymer makes ag baling cord, tree rope and garden trellis twines, plus synthetic and steel fibers used to reinforce concrete. It has operations in Kansas and Minnesota.

News of the shutdown in Albert Lea came the same day that Great Lakes Polymer announced it was selling its agricultural business unit to the Tama Group, a company that plans to consolidate work at a plant in Jerome, Idaho, and emphasize Great Lakes Polymer's Bridon product line, officials said in a statement.

"Both sides have entered the acquisition agreement with the clear vision that the new owners are well-positioned to bring their knowledge and experience to bear in further developing and growing the reach of the Bridon brands and the range of quality products under the umbrella of Bridon USA," the statement said.

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) said the state will provide some assistance to affected workers.

The department "will begin working with the company and the affected employees to make sure they are aware of the benefits available to them through the state's Dislocated Worker Program," DEED spokesman Shane Delaney said in an e-mail.

Job counselors will be available to help with interview preparations, résumé writing and in some cases employment retraining.

Officials with Great Lakes Polymer Technologies did not return calls for comment.

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725