For an area that is heavily invested in woodworking jobs, Wednesday’s announcement of area modular manufacturing companies beginning to recall furloughed workers is welcome news.
The news was not startling. Sales increases are not through the proverbial roof in the housing segment locally or nationally for that matter. But the signs of recovery are clearly in the right direction.
Mifflinburg-based Ritz-Craft has recalled half of its furloughed workers. Steve Forcheskie, general manager of the local firm that sells modular homes through builders in 29 states with manufacturing plants in North Carolina, Michigan and Mifflinburg, expressed cautious optimism.
Orders have been up and down in recent weeks. Forcheskie said the year started out well with strong signs, but recent weeks have seen a tightening up again. He attributes the decline in part to tightened banking issues for consumers trying to get financing.
Marty Sickle, sales manger of Integrity Building Systems in Milton, agrees. Banking issues hold people back from making purchases. Integrity is not yet ready to bring back its furloughed workers. Integrity has been holding our own, but it is not like it was, Sickle said. Thirty people were laid off in November.
Dan Steimly, CEO of Icon Legacy Custom Modular Homes in Selinsgrove, says his company has seen increases during the year to date. He plans to return furloughed workers soon and even add a dozen new jobs. Steimly too said that banks need to be more personable with buyers.
Pennsylvania ranks high in the woodworking manufacturing segment with 36,500 jobs, according to Keystone Wood Products Association. The actual number of woodworking specialists is substantially higher because the association figures do not include jobs in the forestry, paper or furniture segments.
What is even more impressive is that 15 percent of all state woodworking jobs that the association tracks are located in the area of Northumberland, Union, Snyder and Montour counties. While it is a feather in our local cap of riches to have 5,622 woodworking specialists, it cuts both ways when unemployment approaches double-digit numbers out of a total workforce of about 90,000.
Editorials
There’s good news on home front
- Editorials
-
-
Too much of a good thing?
NetSummary
-
Santorum's message starting to resonate
The success of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum this week in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri suggests he may be the candidate who can provide a serious challenge to Romney in the race for the nomination. Mitt Romney has repeatedly failed to solidify his position as front-runner or to sufficiently energize the conservative base of the GOP.
-
Rush to merge needs explanation
Previously, Northumberland had its sewer plant and Point Township was a customer of that plant. There would seem to be pretty clear advantages for Point Township to make the jump from customer to partner.
-
Measuring success of merged force
The justification for merging the police departments of East Buffalo Township and Lewisburg seems clear, but officials must carefully measure progress to make sure the combined police department is measuring up.
-
When zealots take the wheel
Twice last week, we saw a groundswell of everyday democracy reject the incursion of polarizing politics into the health and well being of ordinary Americans. In both instances, mainstream media, social media and religious networks mobilized such a broad swath of the American people that it was clear we can unify across all kinds of boundaries when fundamental beliefs are challenged by ideologues.
-
Cheers and jeers
Cheers: To Kathy Keiper, of Sunbury, will be honored as Sunbury's Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club next month. Keiper was selected for her long service as a volunteer at the Sunbury YMCA and at Nottingham Village near Northumberland.
-
Hynoski's super rookie season
The (Southern Columbia) Tigers also are set to unleash freshman Henry Hynoski, who is already listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds, and is being talked about as the same type of impact player in the program as Jerry Marks and Ricco Rosini were.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
Too much of a good thing?
