Electrolux officials in Augusta, Ga., today are expected to be poring over a thick stack of documents that could hold the fate of the Greenville Frigidaire plant in its pages.
The best efforts of a harried Electrolux Task Force were compiled Monday and flown to the company’s North American headquarters by FedEx overnight delivery.
“It was weird, because we were putting it together when the FedEx guy showed up,” Greenville City Manager George Bosanic said. “We had stuff spread all over the table.”
The task force will be waiting for feedback today. If Electrolux officials have any questions, “they’ll call us,” Bosanic said.
The biggest question also is the most expensive — can any combination of concessions and tax breaks counter the $81 million Electrolux claims it can save annually with a plant in Mexico?
Task force leaders are to meet Wednesday to review the status of the package of perks, including a proposal for a new factory and tax forgiveness for years at the state and local level.
A separate concessions proposal also is on the table from Local 137 of the United Auto Workers, although members won’t need to vote on it unless the company agrees to stay.
By Friday, 2,700 employees and West Michigan should know the results.
Whether the plant stays or closes, it will start producing a new line of upscale Electrolux refrigerators this year, said company spokesman Tony Evans.
That line will join other products already made at the plant, including all Frigidaire side-by-side refrigerators, many of its top-freezer styles, and refrigerators for Kenmore, White-Westinghouse, Gibson and Kelvinator.
The possible plant closing has loomed since Oct. 21 when Chief Executive Officer Hans Straberg told analysts that a United States refrigerator plant might close in favor of a site in Mexico.
Later that day, Straberg revealed the plant was in Greenville.
His announcement launched six frantic weeks for the Electrolux Task Force. The goal was a cohesive, persuasive combination of perks broad and deep enough to sway a corporation.
The package sent out Monday still could be tweaked, said Tim Wondergem, consultant to the task force.
“The intent was to get a preliminary reaction from Electrolux, whether it’s going in the right direction or whether it didn’t meet muster, before disclosing details,” Wondergem said.
If the company’s reaction is positive, the task force plans to clean up any details and deliver a final proposal on Thursday, Wondergem said.
That’s just one day before Decision Day.
Last month, Electrolux set Friday for a public announcement of its plant-closing plans.
Proposals from the task force and the union are under intense review, Evans said.
“We have to try to make a determination to what extent the entire package can mitigate the plant’s competitive disadvantage,” Evans said.
Labor costs are one of the biggest problems. Mexican laborers earn one-tenth the wages paid in Greenville, Electrolux officials said.
Workers will be the first to hear the decision, Evans said.
“Our desire is always to communicate to our employees first,” he said.
From mlive.com