The name G & D Integrated is likely not to be a familiar one to many of you reading this piece, after all they don’t really make the products that you use every day, but the might just be helping to get your favorite items where they need to go. For those of you who are not familiar with the company at all here is a look at how the company describes itself, “G&D’s extensive logistics services meet our clients’ ever-changing needs with comprehensive, adaptable solutions. With more than a century of experience in the transportation industry, we understand the increasingly complex challenges of combining transportation, distribution and manufacturing with innovative information systems and technology to achieve global supply chain success. G&D supports our clients’ business growth by improving service and capacity while simultaneously reducing costs. We partner with them to identify and implement supply chain solutions that streamline operations, eliminate waste and improve productivity.”

Apparently the company believes it can do all of that without more than 500 of its workers. The company has just made an announcement that they are going to be cutting back on about 535 workers in order to make their balance sheet look right. The company recently lost a major contract with Caterpillar Inc., a heavy equipment manufacturer, and this has caused them to turn to a mass layoff action. For those of you who are not familiar with the idea of a mass layoff action here is a look at how the federal government defines the term, “The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program collects reports on mass layoff actions that result in workers being separated from their jobs. Monthly mass layoff numbers are from establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a 5-week period. Extended mass layoff numbers (issued quarterly) are from a subset of such establishments—where private sector nonfarm employers indicate that 50 or more workers were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days.” Under the terms of a mass layoff action the company must give workers 60 days of notice, at minimum before they put them out of a job.

Interestingly enough the company only opened the plant they are not laying workers off from in 2006, and back then they were much more excited about its future. The following was said about the opening in a release put out by the company, “G&D Integrated is launching a multimillion-dollar expansion of its supply chain business and delivering up to 50 new jobs to Decatur. The company, based at 2380 Millikin Parkway, officially broke ground Tuesday on a $6 million addition to its existing 170,000-square-foot building, which already employs 270 workers. The new building will cover another 110,000 square feet, and construction is well under way. The work is expected to be completed by January and the new jobs in place by then, too… The company worked with the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County and the city of Decatur in preparing the way for its expansion. The company’s site is covered by the EDC-administered Decatur Macon County Enterprise Zone, and G&D received state and local tax incentives to encourage its development. Craig Coil, EDC president, says his mission is to create and retain good-paying jobs by helping employers locate and expand here.”

Caterpillar Inc. will not be doing the work themselves, and keeping the jobs in the same location, so workers who are being displaced have a chance of finding a similar position in the near future.