News

September 11, 2008

Kingston firm plans job cuts, relocation

Diamond Triumph Auto Glass is looking for a new site in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

By Jerry Lynott jlynott@timesleader.com
Business Writer
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KINGSTON – The owner of the former Diamond Triumph Auto Glass will cut nearly 300 jobs and relocate its distribution center to a new location in Northeastern Pennsylvania next year, the company said Wednesday.

Belron US said layoffs will begin this month and continue through October 2009. During that time it plans to move its Division Street operation to a new warehouse in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

“We are in the process of conducting site visits to select the new warehouse location,” said a company press release. “The site will be selected by late October.”

Belron, located in Columbus, Ohio, purchased Diamond in June for $50 million while the vehicle glass distributor was in bankruptcy. Diamond was founded in Scranton in 1923 and over the years expanded its workforce to over 1,600 employees with operations to 42 states.

The Diamond deal and the acquisition of the Safelite Group in March 2007 further strengthened Belron’s position in the vehicle glass repair and replacement business. Its parent owner, Belgium- based Belron SA is the industry leader, operating in 28 countries.

At the time of the Diamond sale, Belron said it would assess the options for integrating Diamond’s assets and determine how to best move forward.

In July Belron said approximately 165 jobs at the corporate headquarters will either be eliminated or transferred to Ohio by the end of the year.

Belron spokeswoman Jenny Cain said 120 employees will remain at the distribution center through the end of this year. Of those employees 76 will remain through the end of October 2009 and 33 of them will be offered jobs either at the new warehouse or other Belron facilities, Cain said.

Belron held an internal job fair and offered outplacement workshops for employees, Cain added.

Later this month it will hold another job fair with local companies such as Benco Dental, TeleRx, Manpower, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Penn Foster, First National Community Bank, Sallie Mae and Network Solutions.

Jerry Lynott, a Times Leader staff writer, can be contacted at 570 829-7237.

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