Ottawa welding company to close in July

Jun. 18—OTTAWA — An automotive stamping and welding company in Ottawa is preparing to close its doors in July, according to a May letter sent from the company to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

RK Industries, Inc. President Anne Woodyard sent the notice May 16 to the state agency's Dislocated Worker Unit notifying it of the company's plans to close. The letter was sent in fulfillment of the requirements of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act as well as state law.

The closure will impact 80 employees, 68 of them designated general labor and the rest working in a supervisory, administrative or logistical capacity. According to Woodyard's letter, all the affected employees were notified of the closure and would "receive compensation and benefits for any period of time covered by federal or state WARN."

"Absent a transaction or implementation of another viable strategic alternative, we intend to close the Operations with such operations expected to permanently cease on July 14, 2024," the letter reads. "None of the employees affected are represented by a Union."

The company did not respond to requests for comment.

The closure results from "ongoing economic difficulties," according to the letter. Woodyard noted the company was considering other options at the time the letter was written, including "a potential sale, merger or other strategic transaction." No definite plans had been made as of May, however, the letter continued.

According to the company's website, RK Industries' history goes back to 1983, when Barry and Anne Woodyard started the company in a building behind their home. The business then grew to include automotive production stamping and robotic mig welding along with spot welding at its North Locust Street facility.