REM-Tronics

DUNKIRK — A Dunkirk business is apparently making plans to shut its doors and lay off its employees.

An employee of Gowanda REM-Tronics sent the OBSERVER a copy of a certified letter which states that the Dunkirk facility will be closing this fall.

“The company has made the difficult decision to completely close the REM-Tronics Dunkirk facility on or about November 15, 2020, in order to preserve and protect the future of the company at large,” the letter states, which was signed by Susan Szucs, Senior Director of Human Resources.

According to the letter, Gowanda Components Group and its affiliates have been “adversely impacted” by the economic slowdown. “As previously indicated to representatives of USW Local 2693-3 on August 10, 2020, the detrimental impact of the crisis on the avionics and fiber optics sensor markets, which has resulted in the shutdown of entire industries that are dependent on the products that we manufacture, has affected the backlog of orders throughout our companies. As a result, the backlog of orders at REM-Tronics has dropped by precipitously.”

The letter states that REM-Tronics anticipates “permanently laying off all employees” even though employees who are members of the bargaining unit have bumping rights which were established through a collective bargaining agreement.

The company is a contract manufacturer of high-reliability products for the aerospace, industrial, medical and military industries.

Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas said he has heard rumors of the company looking to close its Dunkirk plant and has contacted them to see what can be done. “We have reached out to the owners and we are willing to do anything we can to help them to stay. If they decide to leave we will work with them to repurpose that site,” he said in a phone call Monday night.

Rosas added that both the city’s Development Department and the county IDA are pursuing further answers.

Gowanda Components Group is the parent company. According to its website, GCC has eight facilities — Gowanda REM-Tronics in Dunkirk; Gowanda Electronics in Gowanda; GCG Tech Center in Gowanda; Butler Winding, Communication Coil, Instec Filters & TTE Filters in Arcade, NY; HiSonic in Olathe, Kansas; DYCO Electronics in Hornell, NY; Microwave Circuits in Beltsville, Maryland; and RCD Components in Manchester, New Hampshire.

It is unknown how many employees are being laid off from the Dunkirk facility. A WARN notice (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) has yet to be filed with the state.

Gowanda REM-tronics, located at 659 Brigham Road in Dunkirk, was formed in April, 2019, after Gowanda Components Group took over REM-tronics.

REM-tronics had been in Silver Creek from 1950 to 2010, when it relocated to Dunkirk, according to a 2016 news release from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency. That year the county IDA approved $352,500 machinery and equipment financing and $75,000 working capital financing through the AL Tech and Chautauqua Revolving Loan Funds.