Madison Community Loses 90+ Jobs, Gains 15

Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007

Executive Director of the Lake Area Improvement Corporation, Dwaine Chapel expects the city of Madison to bounce back and become a better community, even after over 90 employees at the Arctic Cat plant await the end of operations for the plant. But, the Arctic Cat announcement was not the only big news Madison received on Wednesday, also announced in the community of 65-hundred was that Rosebud Manufacturing would be expanding their kitchen countertop and cabinetry operation into the building that Arctic Cat currently occupies and adding as many as 15 new employees.

Perhaps Chapels optimism stems from the over 100 job opens that have been identified as available between Colman and Howard.

The Madison Career Centers Jim Baltzer says he agrees that there are opportunities that lye not only in Madison, but also the surrounding areas.

Arctic Cat Plant Manager Gary Flynn says the workforce at the plant does excellent work, and have been offered positions at the Thief River Falls Minnesota plant, but that doesn't ease the blow of losing their jobs in a community that they know.

Flynn says the closure isn't uncommon, especially since winters in the state aren't what they used to be.

Flynn admits that despite the offer to move to the Thief River location, he doesn't expect many to jump at the opportunity.

The final shut down date for the Arctic Cat plant is set for February 7th, Rosebud Manufacturing will then take over the building, and hopes to have their cabinet making operation moved in by late February to early March.