Komatsu Forest Shut Down

Another shut down. Hope all the emplyees find jobs.
From The Shawano Leader

"Company’s history in Shawano coming to an end
By Nathan Falk, Leader Reporter

Ed Gafner is just two weeks shy of saying goodbye to his job, and what’s left of his family of co-workers.

Gafner is the plant manager at Komatsu Forest, and has witnessed the Shawano plant being stripped of its equipment, and attended a number of farewell lunches since the closing announcement earlier this year. What’s even tougher is that Gafner is ending a 36-year relationship with the company.

“I’ve had a lot of good things to say, everyone’s been good to me,” he said Thursday afternoon, as a skeleton crew of employees finished clearing the Shawano facility’s manufacturing area.

Komatsu Forest is part of Komatsu America Corp., the U.S. arm of Komatsu Ltd. of Japan, the world’s second largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. The Shawano plant will be consolidated into a Komatsu American facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., company spokesman Mari Aoyagi said.

Gafner started his career at Gafner Machine in Escanaba, Mich., which was bought by Valmet, and consolidated into the former Gladstone, Mich. operations. When Valmet merged the Gladstone plant with Shawano in January 2003, Gafner moved to Shawano’s facility. Komatsu took control of the plant shortly after.

“I’m tied to the area, and have three sons who all live and work between Appleton and Neenah. My youngest is in Shawano and works for Associated Bank, so we plan to stay in the area. Where I end up I don’t know,” said Gafner, who lives in Shawano with his wife Christine.

Mary Krueger of Shawano has been with the company 28 years, and will also step out the door for the last time Oct. 9.

“It’s been a great place to work. I haven’t found anything else yet, as there are more people looking for fewer jobs right now — but I feel like everyone will find something eventually,” Krueger said.

She said most of the former Komatsu employees have been keeping in contact, helping support one another.

“We’ve all joined forces on LinkedIn, and we’ve been doing a lot of networking between us to help each other,” she said.

Komatsu set a target date of Oct. 1 to complete the move of the manufacturing division, which was completed Thursday."