Plant Closing Leaves 200 Poteau Workers Without Jobs

A LeFlore County company has told its employees it is closing its doors on July 1st.

Kenco Plastics in Poteau notified its nearly 200 employees at the end of April. In a letter to workers it said the company had lost its customer base and would cease operations.

KFSM, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith says Kenco Plastics has been a fixture of the LeFlore County area for more than 20 years.

According to Kenco employees, those still working at the plant are now finishing up and shipping out the remaining production orders. 

Karen Wages, the Poteau Chamber president said the company had been a great partner to the area.

"It is a detriment on that but as a city we are going to pick up and try to find some positive in it and get some great things going," she said.

She says the city is working with helping Kenco employees find other jobs in the area.