SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Electronics manufacturer ABB confirmed Wednesday it is eliminating 120 jobs from its Southaven, Mississippi facility and consolidating to plants in Mexico and elsewhere in the U.S.
The news comes one day after Mississippi officials announced the company will create 50 new jobs and fill 150 previously announced jobs at an ABB facility in Senatobia. The company said the two moves were not related.
The phased-in transition at the Southaven Thomas & Betts plant is expected to be complete by July. The company said the plant consolidation will improve cost, delivery and quality to customers.
“ABB understands that this is a difficult decision for our employees and their families and is committed to ensuring that our Southaven employees are provided full support during the transition,” a company representative said in a statement. “This support includes our severance package, as well as identifying open positions at our Athens, TN and Jonesboro, AR locations for those employees who wish to pursue those opportunities.”
Jim Flanagan, president and CEO of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council, said his organization had been informed of ABB’s plans several months ago and would be reaching out to the company’s human resources team to discuss employee transition opportunities.
Zurich, Switzerland-based ABB employs 1,400 in Mississippi, including a facility in Byhalia. The company acquired Thomas & Betts in 2012.
