MASON CITY – Changes have been made at the Curries door plant this week, sources tell NIT.
NIT was told on Tuesday that long-time Curries executive Jerry N. Currie, the great-grandson of Curries founder Cory Currie, cleaned out his desk at the plant that day and has either left the company or will now be “working from home”. He has been with the company since 1967, according to the company website.
A call to the Curries human resources department was made Wednesday morning for confirmation. The woman on the phone seemed to express surprise that NIT knew of the development, but she would neither confirm nor deny the report. She indicated she would call the NIT newsroom back with answers.
UPDATE: A spokesperson from the Curries door plant called the NIT newsroom just after noon and said the Mr. Currie has assumed the position of Vice Chairman. The spokesperson refused to comment on whether Mr. Currie still had an office or a desk in the plant.
A source who works at the plant told NIT the Assa Abloy, the parent company of Curries, has “shown signs of ruthlessness. I would not trust Assa Abloy very much.”
Another source indicated that the company is suffering financial issues, and hat was backed up by the source working at the plant, who said an “aging workforce, high pay” and other factors were forcing the company’s hand.
Curries is one of the largest employers in Mason City.
More on this developing story as information becomes available.
@Lvs …I hope I am wrong also ! I worked there for 30+ yrs …That company gave me a fair wage and a decent life . I just know the company has new management and all the longevity employees are being weeded out . It was those people that grew with the company . I know it is a very big asset to Mason City .
Things will never be the same …handwriting is on the wall for this company.
@DLL-I really hope you are wrong as there are a lot of good family people that depend on that company for a living. I have been told by some long time employees that it is a miserable place to work now. The problem is they have moved up the wage scale there and they can’t make the kind of money they make there anywhere else in the area. They treat their people pretty badly now.
Sad to see the last of the mason city family businesses being turned over to the bean counters. With jerry gone you can bet all the curries sponsored events and company donations will stop. Also if curries closes just hang signs at the MC entrances saying beermeyer village closed for business.
This is just my opinion but I could just never figure out why Management/Office parking lot is so large it seems to be much bigger than laborside parking lot.Seems like to me they have way to many management/office help.They seem to have streamlined labor.With all the tech.we have you think they would zero in on all the waste on that side of business(office/management).Labor makes the money people seem to forget that part it doesn’t just appear.No not employee just taxpayer that bailed them out
The office parking lot that you speak of, is also full of cars from the door and frame manufacturing employees. It is not just for office/management. Also in square footage, the office parking lot is smaller in size compared to the parking lot you speak of as the office/management parking lot.
Also to your other comment “No not employee just taxpayer that bailed them out” I am not sure what you were trying to say here. But if it implies that the employees didn’t pay anything but it was the tax payer, think of this- How many of those employees live in Mason City and PAY TAXES. HHHMMMMMM
@fyi-Just think of how many taxpayers do not work there.
Hmm. Vice Chairman. Sounds like they mean he has been given a meaningless title with no authority and no office or support. That is a way of get him to reign from embarrassment and boredom. An old trick by corporations. Old but slimy.
Look for a pay cut or they will threaten to close the doors. Bookmeyer City will bail them out. The workers will take it in the shorts as usual.
@2old-we bailed them out about a year ago with 100K (I believe that was the number) to help them build the new addition.
“we bailed them out about a year ago”? Your $1,046 of property taxes paid was .0000771693 of the tax levied in our present budget.