Paris Precision in Paso Robles closing, laying off 130 workers

After more than 50 years in business, Paso Robles sheet metal fabricating company Paris Precision is closing and will lay off 130 employees next month.

The company is scheduled to close May 22, said Sara Hayter, rapid response coordinator with the San Luis Obispo County Workforce Development Board. The business’s parent company, MDC Vacuum of Hayward, said it is shutting the company because it is no longer profitable, she said.

“We are reaching out to other manufacturing companies in the county to see if they are interested in hiring the workers,” Hayter said.

A call to the company Tuesday was not returned.

» Related: 15 SLO County businesses that closed in 2015

Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin said losing 130 jobs will have a substantial impact on the city.

“It hurts to lose that many jobs,” he said.

He did not know why the company was no longer profitable.

The county is also working with Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce to find jobs for the workers.

“We are doing the best we can to support these employees as they work through this transition,” said Gina Fitzpatrick, the chamber’s chief executive officer.

Founded in 1962, Paris Precision operates a 220,000-square-foot facility at 1650 Ramada Drive. According to the company’s website, its workers consist of engineers, tool and die makers, customer service and administrative personnel.

The company was consistently listed as one of the county’s top 20 employers until 2001, when it laid off about 100 workers. The layoffs were the result of the recession, the company said at the time. The layoffs came just a year after the business had moved from Commerce Way to Ramada Drive, where it had opened a new building twice the size of its old facility.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Paris Precision in Paso Robles closing, laying off 130 workers."