Collins Aerospace closing Peshtigo facility; mayor hopes building isn’t empty for long

PESHTIGO, Wis. (WBAY) - Collins Aerospace announced it’s permanently closing its facility in Peshtigo. One hundred workers in Marinette County will lose their jobs before the end of the year.

In a notice to the state Department of Workforce Development, the company says layoffs at the Maple Street facility will start around July 28, and it expects the facility will cease all operations by mid-December.

According to online job sites, the Peshtigo facility designed, constructed and certified aircraft seats.

Collins Aerospace says Peshtigo’s operations are being consolidated into its Medly, Fla., and Colorado Springs, Colo., locations. The company told the state the employees will not be entitled to displace less-senior employees at other locations.

Thirteen positions are converting to remote work or being relocated.

The mayor of Peshtigo says it’s tough to see a business go -- whether a handful of employees lose their jobs or a hundred.

“I feel bad. You know, it breaks your heart because these people have families. They depend on the livelihood of working there,” Mayor Cathi Malke said.

The mayor says she first heard dozens of people were losing their jobs through word-of-mouth.

“Peshtigo is a nice small-knit community, and Collins, they’ve been a good community supporter for decades,” Mayor Malke said. “I think with COVID they had to relook at everything and do what’s best for their survival as well.”

Collins Aerospace, owned by Raytheon Technologies, has 73,000 employees at more than 300 facilities worldwide. In 2021, it generated $18.4 billion in net sales, according to its website. The company is headquartered in North Carolina.

“I think a lot of people feel bad because families depend on the income and where are they going to go from here?” Malke said.

The company provided Action 2 News with a statement that reads in part, “Through regular evaluation of our business operations, Collins Aerospace has made the difficult decision to close its Peshtigo, Wisconsin, facility. Collins will work closely with our employees and treat them with respect throughout this process.”

Mayor Malke said Collins Aerospace is being “very generous to their employees” but didn’t have any information on potential severance packages.

She’s crossing her fingers the building won’t stay empty long.

“Our hope is that another company will see this and want to move in because we already have an established workforce,” she said.

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