Sherwood Valve to cease operations, union says
Sherwood Valve informed the United Steelworkers union it intends to halt operations at its Chartiers Township facility this summer, a spokesman for the union said Friday afternoon.
R.J. Hufnagel, of USW International in downtown Pittsburgh, said in an email the company reported permanent layoffs will occur between April 1 and June 30. It would affect 58 union employees.
Sherwood makes valves and fluid control solutions for refrigeration, compressed gas and heating and air conditioning systems. The plant is at 2200 N. Main St. in the Arden section of the township, near Washington County Fairgrounds. That also is the company’s headquarters; the firm has two other facilities, both in Ohio.
Hufnagel said the union “has notified Sherwood Valve of our intent to enter decision and effects bargaining. We are in the process of gathering information related to this decision, and we hope to begin decision and effects negotiations by March at the latest.
“We have also contacted state and local officials to seek any help they are able to offer. We are looking forward to harmonious and productive discussions with management, with the goal of reversing the company’s decision.”
Sherwood was purchased June 18 by Mueller Industries Inc. of Memphis, Tenn. The price, according to the website marketvis.io, was $2.8 million in cash.
No other details were available.
A representative at the Arden location referred all inquiries to Jeff Martin, chief financial officer at Mueller Industries. Martin did not return telephone calls seeking comment.