St. Louis company announces layoffs at Columbia factory

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A St. Louis-based maker of industrial electric heating and sensor equipment will lay off 41 employees at its Columbia factory, with more reductions this summer.

Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company said in a news release Monday that the 41 job losses will be effective Wednesday.

Watlow said it will move its gas-heating operation to a factory in Mexico. That will make room at the Columbia factory for a high-tech facility to manufacturer new products.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports Watlow employs 388 people in Columbia.

Watlow spokesman Bob Moore says a second round of layoffs will occur in July. He says about 70 percent, or 271 positions, of the workforce will remain after the transition is completed. The company will spend more than $1 million in transition to the Mexico factory.