Looking For Work After The Glass Plant

A big Sapulpa business shuts down.  Anchor Hocking is closing its Sapulpa plant, as well as its distribution center in Flint, Oklahoma in Delaware County.  The move affects 425 employees in all.  The bulk of those job losses will affect workers in Sapulpa.   City leaders are confident those employees will be able to find other jobs.

"At least they told us before we was actually laid off. Give us time to find another job and go from there," said Anchor Hocking employee George Bradford.

George Bradford and Chris Redding are two of nearly 400 employees at the Anchor Hocking plant in Sapulpa. Company officials announced on Thursday that the facility will close by mid-summer.  The decision comes two months after the Ohio-based company bought the plant from Bartlett Collins.

The company told city leaders about the move on Wednesday.

 "We're going to adapt. Any city that goes through any type of transition like this has to adapt," said Sapulpa city manager Tom DeArman.

The biggest concern for the city is to help the employees find new jobs.  Economic development director Ted Fisher says the company will allow city officials and job placement personnel to meet with the workers inside the plant.  While the company is encouraging employees to apply for jobs at other plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, Sapulpa city leaders say there are plenty of jobs for those who decide to stay.

"There's manufacturing jobs.  There's clerical jobs.  There's technical jobs.  And, we have plenty of space for those," said Sapulpa Economic Development Director Ted Fisher.

Both George Bradford and Chris Redding say they're not worried about finding a new place to work.

"With the knowledge they gave me here it's going to work out.  It's going to work out in future times.  It really is," said George Bradford.

"Oh definitely, with the experience that I have from learning here and going someplace else, I'm sure there won't be any problem," added Chris Redding.