Telford Bush Hog Filed WARN Report; 142 Jobs At Risk

Telford, Tenn.—Bush Hog (based in Selma, Ala.) operates an enormous plant off Highway 11-W in Telford.

The Bush Hog plant in Telford never reached its full potential: 450 employees churning out zero-turn mowers and tractor loaders.  They opened with 240 workers in 2002, and started to streamline two years later.

In January, 11 Connects obtained a letter from Bush Hog President Duane Prentice to his employees.

That letter suggested Bush Hog officials wanted to sell.

Today, they took the next step—a letter to the Tennessee Department of Labor warning employees the plant could close in 60 days.

“We were dreading it and also expecting it, due to the fact that they have really cut back numbers,“ said Washington County Mayor George Jaynes.

Jaynes was dreading the WARN letter issued to the Tennessee Department of Labor on Monday.  It states, if Bush Hog fails to find a buyer the Telford plant will close permanently. 

WARN, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, is federal law that applies to companies with at least 100 workers.

“If they’re laying off a third or more of their employees… or they’re closing their doors affecting that many employees… Then they would notify us with a 60-day notice,“ said Jeff Hentschel, Communications Director for the Tennessee Department of Labor.

Bush Hog President Duane Prentice said the Telford plant isn’t the only chip on the auction block.

“Our current ownership is trying to sell Bush Hog, LLC. in it’s entirety and we do not know what the new owners will want to do with Tennessee,“ Prentice said.

County Attorney John Rambo said a sale would be the best option for Washington County because Bush Hog owes them tax dollars. 

Bush Hog received a “tax abatement” to locate here.

“They pay a percentage of their taxes to the industrial board which goes back to the County,“ Rambo said.  If Bush Hog fails to sell and goes under, that tax claim could end up in bankruptcy court, he said.

If Bush Hog manages to find a buyer, 142 workers named in the WARN report have no guarantees that they will keep their jobs.  The U.S. manufacturing sector is in pretty bad shape, and a new owner might decide to go in an entirely different direction.

Workers have several options if they want help applying for unemployment, finding a job, or training for a new one.

The Department of Labor recommended workers start immediately.

Johnson City offers “mass claim sessions”—workers can file for unemployment in groups.  They can also file by phone of via the internet.

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