For Release: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
| Contact: | Mary Shalapin (Costello) 618-233-8026 Christina Angarola (Durbin) 312-848-4484 |
COSTELLO, DURBIN CALL ON OLIN CEO TO RECONSIDER PLANS TO MOVE 1,000 MANUFACTURING JOBS OUT OF EAST ALTON
BELLEVILLE – Following news reports that Olin Corporation is considering relocating its Winchester operations from East Alton to Oxford, Mississippi, taking approximately 1,000 manufacturing jobs along with it, U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to the company’s President and CEO expressing their disappointment with the decision, asking for a better explanation of why such a move would be contemplated and requesting a meeting to discuss.
The letter notes the company’s near record profits in recent months and its substantial number of federal contracts. It also requests that Olin CEO Joseph Rupp answer key questions regarding the factors that led to the preliminary decision to close the facilities and his plan moving forward.
“We urge you to reconsider Olin Corporation’s plans to move Winchester Ammunition Division’s Centerfire operations out of Illinois and request an opportunity to discuss with you the future of the East Alton operations,” stated Costello and Durbin in their letter. “Like other local stakeholders, we were disappointed to learn that the company is considering leaving our community, which has embraced and supported its growth, given the substantial profitability of current operations and its unprecedented levels of federal contracts. The community lost Olin’s Rimfire in 2004, making Centerfire operation’s 1,000 jobs critical to the local economy. Moving Centerfire manufacturing out of East Alton during an economic downturn and 10.2 percent unemployment in Madison County would have a terrible impact on these communities.”
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Text of Letter to Joseph D. Rupp, President and CEO of Olin Corporation.
