Genie parent company sends employees home

MOSES LAKE — Genie parent company Terex announced on Monday that it was halting all U.S. production and sending workers home until early April.

“Effective today — Monday, March 23 — all U.S. Genie manufacturing sites have been shut down for two weeks with a planned return to work date of April 6,” said company spokesperson Amber Reed.

“At Terex, our top priority is safety,” Reed said. “We are a global organization, with manufacturing and support sites, customers and suppliers located all over the world, including some greatly impacted by the coronavirus.

“Although the pace at which the situation is changing has been accelerating, we remain committed to serving the needs of our customers, including shipping our products, delivering our parts and servicing our equipment, while taking precautions to protect the health and safety of our team members, our customers, our suppliers and the communities in which we all live and work.”

Westport, Conn., based Terex builds Genie-brand aerial work platforms and lifts at U.S. production facilities in Redmond and Moses Lake, Wash.; Rock Hill, S.C.; and Oklahoma City, Okla., and has recently faced decreasing demand worldwide for construction equipment.

According to figures from Grant County Economic Development Council, Genie is the largest private employer in the county with around 900 employees.