Worthington says June 20 last day in Medina

Company had planned to close on May 1

MEDINA – In December, officials at Worthington Industries in Medina said the plant would shut down on May 1 and put 152 people out of work.

That shutdown date has been pushed back to June 20 due to increased production, company leaders told the Medina Village Board in a letter.

It’s bittersweet news for the employees, who stay on the job for seven more weeks but face the inevitable loss of their jobs.

Worthington operates the former Bernz-O-Matic and is shifting production from Medina to a site in Wisconsin. Many of the employees have worked at the plant for decades.

Worthington bought Bernz-O-Matic in 2011. Bernz-O-Matic had operated in Medina since 1969, making torches.

Worthington makes cylinders for the torches in Wisconsin. By shifting the torch production to Wisconsin, the company says it can do everything at one site, saving in transportation costs.

Worthington planned to ramp up production in Medina, to have extra product while the company shifts production to the site in Wisconsin.