Bear Down sent the notification to the state Wednesday, saying it would close down the facility at 4250 Port Union Road in Fairfield and lay off 105 employees.
This is the second company to let employees go because of decisions Amazon made about their use of a delivery service. Last fall, Amazon terminated its relationship with Inpax Final Mile. That resulted in October in the company laying off 64 employees in Fairfield and the same amount of employees in Euclid.
The closure and layoff is expected to be permanent, Bear Down Logistics said in a letter signed by Michael Dipiazza, vice president of operations.
All affected employees have been notified of their separation dates and that their separation from employment will be permanent, Dipiazza said.
Amazon works closely with a variety of carrier partners to get packages to Amazon customers and the company regularly evaluates its partnerships, the company told this news outlet. It has ended its relationship with Bear Down Logistics and is working closely with all impacted drivers to ensure they find opportunities to deliver Amazon packages with other local delivery service partners with little to no disruption to pay, the company said.
Ohio follows federal requirements under the Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires employers to provide written notice to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services’ Dislocated Worker Unit (Rapid Response Unit) at least 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and mass layoffs.
Dipiazza at Bear Down Logistics could not be reached for comment. The company touts itself as “a premier carrier specializing in final mile delivery” and has multiple national delivery outlets across 10 states.
Amazon reportedly contracts with thousands of small companies across the country to aid with delivery operations, according to Greg Kathman, Fairfield’s development services director.
“The city is not privy to the internal decision-making process related to any of these contractors,” Kathman said.
Fairfield utilizes workforce development partner agencies like OhioMeansJobs-Butler County that specialize in assisting workers and companies, he said.
“I’m confident they stand ready to work with those affected,” Kathman said.
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