Ariens moving Nebraska plant's operations to Brillion

Ariens Company is closing its plant in Nebraska and moving the operations to its home-base of Wisconsin.

The Brillion, Wis.-based company announced June 14 that it would shutter the facility in Auburn, Neb. sometime between Aug. 17 and Oct. 15.

This move will impact 193 employees in Nebraska.

The Nebraska plant made outdoor power equipment that the Brillion plant did not have room to produce. The company's president says "significant productivity improvements" in Wisconsin made the Nebraska facility "no longer an economical option."

“This was a difficult decision knowing the Auburn employee base and the Auburn community, but it just doesn’t make economic sense to keep this plant running in light of the significant productivity improvements that have been made elsewhere in the company,” says Larry Weyers, President, Ariens Power Equipment. “The main plants in Wisconsin have increased daily production by 64 percent compared to last year.”

The company says Nebraska employees will be welcome to apply for jobs in Brillion as part of a relocation bonus.

Ariens employs more than 1,000 employees.