110 jobs will be lost as a Freeburg, Illinois plant is set to close by 2026
KSDK News
[{'start': '0.160', 'end': '3.760', 'text': 'More than 100 people in one Metro East'}, {'start': '2.080', 'end': '5.920', 'text': 'community will soon be out of a job'}, {'start': '3.760', 'end': '8.160', 'text': 'after their employer announced plans to'}, {'start': '5.920', 'end': '9.840', 'text': 'close within the next year. Five New'}, {'start': '8.160', 'end': '11.759', 'text': 'Sage Holden Kurwiki joins us now in'}, {'start': '9.840', 'end': '13.599', 'text': 'studio with the latest details on the'}, {'start': '11.759', 'end': '15.440', 'text': 'closure of the Hubble factory in'}, {'start': '13.599', 'end': '17.039', 'text': 'Freeberg. Well, Mike, according to a'}, {'start': '15.440', 'end': '18.640', 'text': 'notice sent by Hubble to the state of'}, {'start': '17.039', 'end': '20.560', 'text': 'Illinois, the move is being made to'}, {'start': '18.640', 'end': '23.119', 'text': 'consolidate manufacturing and in'}, {'start': '20.560', 'end': '24.720', 'text': 'distribution into existing facilities.'}, {'start': '23.119', 'end': '26.800', 'text': 'However, after learning where the jobs'}, {'start': '24.720', 'end': '28.240', 'text': "were going, Freeberg's mayor told me he"}, {'start': '26.800', 'end': '31.719', 'text': 'believes the move is actually about the'}, {'start': '28.240', 'end': '34.480', 'text': "company's bottom line. Since"}, {'start': '31.719', 'end': '36.559', 'text': '1958, the Hubble Wegman plant has been a'}, {'start': '34.480', 'end': '39.920', 'text': 'staple in Freeberg. They manufacture'}, {'start': '36.559', 'end': '41.600', 'text': 'electrical boxes. So like your'}, {'start': '39.920', 'end': '44.160', 'text': 'uh disconnect boxes, say for your air'}, {'start': '41.600', 'end': '45.840', 'text': 'conditioner or to that extent or higher'}, {'start': '44.160', 'end': '47.920', 'text': 'up is what they make there. Though'}, {'start': '45.840', 'end': '49.280', 'text': 'Freeberg mayor says Spicer admits there'}, {'start': '47.920', 'end': '50.879', 'text': 'have been rumors that the plant would'}, {'start': '49.280', 'end': '54.000', 'text': 'close. You know, recently they just put'}, {'start': '50.879', 'end': '55.280', 'text': 'in like six robots which were expensive.'}, {'start': '54.000', 'end': '57.360', 'text': "So we thought maybe they weren't"}, {'start': '55.280', 'end': '59.280', 'text': "leaving. According to Spicer, couple's"}, {'start': '57.360', 'end': '61.600', 'text': 'plans for the Freeberg factory became'}, {'start': '59.280', 'end': '63.520', 'text': 'crystal clear late last year. About 6'}, {'start': '61.600', 'end': '66.400', 'text': 'months ago, we got a we got a phone call'}, {'start': '63.520', 'end': '68.400', 'text': 'from their VA that said that they were'}, {'start': '66.400', 'end': '69.840', 'text': 'definitely going to close it down.'}, {'start': '68.400', 'end': '71.920', 'text': 'Though no one from Hubble responded to'}, {'start': '69.840', 'end': '73.280', 'text': 'request for comment on this story. A'}, {'start': '71.920', 'end': '74.880', 'text': 'warn notice sent to the Illinois'}, {'start': '73.280', 'end': '77.119', 'text': 'Department of Commerce and Economic'}, {'start': '74.880', 'end': '79.200', 'text': 'Opportunity states they plan to start'}, {'start': '77.119', 'end': '80.720', 'text': 'laying off all 110 employees in'}, {'start': '79.200', 'end': '82.479', 'text': 'September. A lot less people are going'}, {'start': '80.720', 'end': '83.680', 'text': 'to go out to eat. A lot less people are'}, {'start': '82.479', 'end': '85.119', 'text': 'going to be, you know, spending money in'}, {'start': '83.680', 'end': '87.040', 'text': "town. That's because according to the"}, {'start': '85.119', 'end': '88.720', 'text': 'war notice, those jobs will be split up'}, {'start': '87.040', 'end': '90.799', 'text': "between Hubble's Aurora, Illinois"}, {'start': '88.720', 'end': '93.040', 'text': 'factory and a location in Wararez,'}, {'start': '90.799', 'end': '95.520', 'text': "Mexico. To me, it's the labor rates. If"}, {'start': '93.040', 'end': '98.880', 'text': 'they can go to Mexico for $3 an hour'}, {'start': '95.520', 'end': '101.040', 'text': "versus Freeberg for $20 an hour, it's"}, {'start': '98.880', 'end': '103.040', 'text': "it's just business, you know, it is what"}, {'start': '101.040', 'end': '105.280', 'text': 'it is. However, Mayor Spicer is hopeful'}, {'start': '103.040', 'end': '107.119', 'text': "the factory won't set vacant for long."}, {'start': '105.280', 'end': '108.960', 'text': "Facility is awful nice. I mean, it's"}, {'start': '107.119', 'end': '110.079', 'text': "it's pretty big. So, I I don't think"}, {'start': '108.960', 'end': '111.759', 'text': "they'll have a problem selling the"}, {'start': '110.079', 'end': '113.520', 'text': 'building or finding somebody to move in'}, {'start': '111.759', 'end': '116.000', 'text': 'there. So, hopefully they do. and'}, {'start': '113.520', 'end': '117.680', 'text': "hopefully it's sooner than later. At"}, {'start': '116.000', 'end': '119.360', 'text': "this time, it's not clear exactly when"}, {'start': '117.680', 'end': '121.280', 'text': 'Hubble plans to close the Freeberg'}, {'start': '119.360', 'end': '123.280', 'text': 'factory. According to the warned notice,'}, {'start': '121.280', 'end': '125.680', 'text': 'operations will wrap up sometime in mid'}, {'start': '123.280', 'end': '125.680', 'text': '2026.'}]