MARSTON, Mo. (WSIL) The nation's second-largest aluminum smelter which is located in Southeast Missouri is laying off most of its employees.
Magnitude Seven Metals in Marston announced they will be reducing their operations on Sunday impacting around 450 union workers.
One person from Marston says the plant was a large part of the town's economy.
“I mean, it's devastating for us, just like it is for them, man.� Darrence Perkins says. “I mean, a lot of that money went towards schools and all that.�
Perkins works as a cook in town and says his friends were devastated by the news.
“They got kids, families, bills. They don't stop just because their plant stops. So what are these guys supposed to do,� Perkins said.
The workers made up most of the customers at Perkins’s work.
“They made a lot of orders here at this store that was like at least 35% of our business gone because of them,� Perkins said.
Joseph Forbes is a local truck driver from Campbell, Missouri. He says the smelter also impacts the transportation industry.
“That could have been the only contract they had. So their trucks are gonna be stopped. They're not gonna have income for their family,� Forbes says. “They got payments on their trucks, leases, you know, I mean, it's just gonna affect everybody.�
Forbes says he has family members who found out that they were laid off along with others from his town.
“I mean there's a bunch of people that work from Campbell over here and I mean, it's gonna impact the businesses over there too,� Forbes said.
