Bradenton aerospace firm furloughs 31 as pandemic takes toll on airline industry
Safran Electrical & Power, one of Manatee County’s largest employers, confirmed that it has stated furloughs at its local plant and has sought financial aid due to the cornavirus pandemic.
“As with most aerospace companies, Safran Electrical & Power had to furlough some of its team members in order to address the shrinking demand and shortage in the supply base,” general manager David L. Vollrath II wrote in an email to the Bradenton Herald on Tuesday.
Safran furloughed 31 team members from its workforce of 239, and Vollrath said he hopes the furloughs will be temporary.
“We truly hope so as our team members are our most valuable asset, but like all businesses, it is too early to tell what the market conditions will be and how our business will be impacted,” he said.
Safran has filed a disaster survey evaluation for loss of sales with the state and county, he said.
“Our first and foremost priority is the safety and well-being of our team members, their loved ones and those around us in our community. Safran Electrical & Power has put in place significant measures in an effort to both combat and minimize the risk of contamination and exposure of COVID-19. This includes personal protective equipment (PPE), enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols, social distancing and telecommuting wherever possible. We will continue to our absolute utmost to protect our most valuable asset, our people,” Vollrath said.
To date, Safran has not been notified of any COVID-19 cases at its site in Manatee County, Vollrath said.
In 2016, Safran reported that, through its subsidiary Labinal Power Systems, it was expanding its manufacturing facility at 2250 Whitfield Ave. E. to support the aerospace industry’s move toward more electric aircraft.
The expansion included the relocation of the company’s Aerosource operations from Somerset, N.J., to Manatee County. Aerosource was acquired by Safran in 2011 and specializes in the maintenance, repair and overhaul service for airborne electrical equipment.
According to a 2016 Safran news release, the Aerosource move was expected to bring 84 new jobs to the county.
Labinal Power Systems entered Manatee County in 2014, when it purchased an Eaton Corp. facility on Whitfield Avenue for $4.15 million.
With the Manatee County property purchase, Safran acquired an approximately 135,000-square-foot light industrial building. The building was originally built in 1978.
The furloughs by Safran are some of the latest in the Bradenton-Sarasota community beset by soaring unemployment.
For more information about Safran, visit https://www.safran-electrical-power.com/media/safran-celebrates-expansion-sarasota-florida-facility-20171013.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity website, running well behind actual claims, still shows 7,540 claims from Manatee County as of the week ending April 4.
Feld Entertainment reported 1,467 layoffs combined from its Ellenton headquarters and traveling shows, while Dentsply Sirona, 7290 26th Court E., reported 148 layoffs.
Food and accommodation jobs across the state have been especially hard hit during the pandemic with 115,313 claims for assistance filed with the state.
During the pandemic, filing for unemployment is done online at employflorida.com.
For help in finding a job, applicants may visit the CareerSource Suncoast website at https://careersourcesuncoast.com/employers/ and jobfocus.com, a service hosted by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
