Emerson slashes 320 jobs

By By Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
More than 320 employees of Hartselle-based Emerson Climate Technologies will be losing their jobs in the next 18 months.
The company, formerly known as Copeland Corp., announced the layoff of 300 full-time and 20 temporary employees last week.
Only 40 employees will remain after the layoff, signaling the end of what was once one of Hartselle’s largest employers. Copeland was established in 1977 and once employed as many as 1,100 people.
R-22 refrigerant is one of the elements used in the air conditioning components manufactured at the Hartselle plant. Starting Jan. 1, government regulations only allow for equipment using R-22 to be serviced but no new equipment can be produced. In 1987, an international environmental agreement known as the Montreal Protocol mandated the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons such as R-22 be phased out for fear the chlorine found in the refrigerant harms the ozone layer.
According to the EPA, R-22 has been used in heat pumps and air conditioning systems for more than four decades.
This is the second major layoff at the Hartselle plant. Last year, 80 full-time and 100 temporary employees lost their jobs.
Morgan County currently has an unemployment rate of 10.6 percent, compared to a 2007 low of 2.4 percent. The statewide unemployment rate has topped 11 percent.