Central Ohio's manufacturing base is about to get a little thinner. A.O. Smith Corp. is shutting down its Groveport and Obetz facilities, moving production out of the region and cutting about 92 jobs, according to a notice the company submitted to state authorities that schedules separations later this summer.
What A.O. Smith told local media
Columbus Business First reported that A.O. Smith will close its Central Ohio facilities and lay off 92 people, with production shifted out of the area. The outlet's coverage includes an image of the Groveport site, a visual marker of a footprint that will soon disappear from the local industrial landscape.
Timing comes from a WARN filing
A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN Act, filing submitted to state agencies on June 23 lists 92 separations and sets an effective date of Aug. 24, according to Layoff IQ. The notice covers multiple Ohio worksites and specifies that remote employees are also affected.
Local footprint and company history
A.O. Smith expanded its water-treatment operations in the Columbus region after acquiring Hague Quality Water in 2017, A. O. Smith has stated. That deal brought manufacturing to Groveport and led to the addition of nearby Obetz facilities as the company built out its North America water-treatment unit.
What workers are owed
Under the federal WARN Act, covered employers generally must give 60 days' advance notice before plant closings or mass layoffs. In Ohio, those notices are submitted using the JFS-00039 WARN form, and the state's instructions spell out how employers should notify state officials and local workforce partners. The form and guidance are available from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Regional context
The A.O. Smith closures add to a steady flow of WARN filings and plant shutdowns across Ohio this year, a trend-tracking service shows. That drumbeat of notices highlights continued pressure on the region's manufacturing sector and the role of rapid-response services for workers who suddenly find themselves out of a job, according to WARNScan.
The Aug. 24 effective date listed in the filing gives state and local rapid-response teams a window to organize help for affected employees, including unemployment benefits, retraining options and job placement services, per the state's WARN guidance. Local workforce boards typically coordinate those supports once a company's notice lands with the state.
