165 pink slips at Stanley-Bostitch

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) - Layoff notices have been sent to 165 workers at the Stanley-Bostitch plant in East Greenwich.

A company representative confirmed to Eyewitness News on Friday that Stanley-Bostitch is eliminating it's "Nail Production Department."

The layoffs will not take place at once. A gradual reduction to the workforce will begin in April and end in October.

Stanley-Bostitch released this prepared statement to Eyewitness News:

"This was a very difficult decision for everyone, but the intense cost pressures associated with the nail production department were too much to overcome.

It is important to note that this is one department within the division that is closing, not the entire division.

This decision does not in any way reflect the caliber of our employees, who are world-class associates that would be a valuable asset to any employer, nor does it reflect the quality of the East Greenwich community, which is an exceptional community in which to do business."