News-Chronicle
Brown County Publishing/Wisconsin Web Offset will suspend operations at its heat set printing plant in Denmark, on Oct. 1.
WWO's chief operating officer, Chris Wood, said the plant will be "moth-balled for the time being while we beat the bushes to see what additional business might be available" to warrant reopening the Denmark facility. Work currently being done in Denmark will be moved to WWO's sister plant in Brookfield.
Twenty-three employees, mostly press operators at the Denmark site, will be affected. Most will be offered employment at the Brookfield plant, while some will be relocated to WWO's Auto Focus offices in Green Bay.
"We're offering all employees a chance to try it," said Wood. Every displaced worker will maintain the same rate of pay, and will be given a trial period during which the company will pay for room and board, if required, and travel expenses.
"Our hope is that at least half of our employees will at least try (the arrangement)," said Wood. "It's a very difficult thing to do, but it's necessary."
Brown County Publishing's 34 publications, including the Green Bay News-Chronicle and the Denmark Press newspapers, were sold to Gannett Corp. in July and are not affected by this action.