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Booneville supplier will close
Published Wednesday, Oct. 8
By Kenny Goode and Angela Storey
The Banner-Independent

The closure of one of Booneville's older industries was announced to its employees by company officials on Tuesday.

Parker-Hannifin Corporation, located at 200 West Parker Drive, will be closing at the end of this year and with it will go approximately 150 jobs and a multi-million dollar annual payroll.

At the height of its local operations, Parker Hannifin, Booneville, had about 300 employees. The company, having been located in Booneville for the past 24 years, is a manufacturer of air-conditioning accumulators and receiver dryers for the automotive markets.

Ron Weil, vice-president and general manager of Parker Hannifin, stated, "We regret the impact that this difficult, but necessary, business decision will have on our employees and the community. This plant closing is not a reflection on the skill or effort of our employees. This closing is strictly a business decision based on the competitive automotive market place."

Weil said other Parker facilities are situated in the southeastern area of the U.S. but there are no plans to transfer Booneville employees to any of those locations.
Downsizing at Parker Hannifin will begin this month with the closure of the Booneville facility in the Booneville-Prentiss County Industrial Park expected to be complete on or about Dec. 31.

Weil said laid-off employees, "will receive severance packages and other assistance in finding future employment and we have retained the services of Russell, Montgomery and Associates to assist in job searches, counseling and other personalized planning services."

The facility itself is owned by Parker-Hannifin and Weil stated the company has no specific plans for the future of the plant. He added, "This closure will allow us to remain competitive in a very difficult economy. We've appreciated being a part of the community."

Booneville Mayor Roger Smith stated, "It is disappointing to lose a plant after 25 years but the company is working through the Prentiss County Development Association to immediately begin to search for someone to occupy the building. We are sorry for the loss of jobs and, hopefully, those affected can find new jobs."
Company officials also met Tuesday with officials of the Prentiss County Development Association. Executive Director Gerald Williams said, "It is obviously very hard to think of the closing of a facility like Parker Hannifin because of the length of time they have been in operation here and the value that they have added to the citizens of Booneville and Prentiss County, not only in providing jobs, but also in numerous contributions to the community as a whole."

Williams added, "We will be working closely with representatives of Northeast Community College, the WIA Program, and representatives of the state, to provide services to those affected by this layoff as quickly as possible."

Parker Hannifin is a Fortune 500 company.

The announcement comes on the heels of an announcement by ACT Electronics that it will likely close its Corinth plant by year's end, resulting in the loss of about 200 full-time positions.