CorWorth’s temporary layoffs cut staff in half
CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — After a year in operation, CorWorth Building Systems has had its share of ups and downs, including fluctuating staff numbers.
PHOTO: CorWorth Building Systems, which manufactures public-restroom facilities, has been in operation for a year in Marble Falls at 1701 Colt Circle. It recently laid off more than a dozen workers, but officials say some could be re-hired within the next couple of weeks with pending job projects. File photo
The Marble Falls company, which manufactures public restrooms, started with 10 employees, peaked at about 44 staff members by the fall of 2012 and fell to fewer than 20 employees after laying off 15 workers during the past two weeks, President and CEO Howard Worthing confirmed.
“We’re still trying to get our legs under us, in getting the bulk of business in here,” he said. “We hope to have some of the people back within the next couple of weeks.”
The Texas-based parent of Restroom Facilities Ltd. of Reno, Nev., began leasing space in January 2012 in a building at 1707 Colt Circle, owned by the Marble Falls Economic Development Corp.
Since then, the company has constructed and delivered public-restroom facilities for clients in California, Wisconsin and Colorado, Worthing said.
“We had a contract (fall through that) we were geared up for,” he said of the reason for the recent layoffs. “They’re still on the payroll, just not working right now … for a week or two until we re-group on new jobs.”
The lost project involved public-restroom facilities for a park district in Southern California.
“We’re trying to get two more jobs,” Worthing said. “We just had to rearrange the schedule.”
Jobs creation is tied to the company’s performance agreement with the Marble Falls EDC. Board members cut ties with the previous building occupant, an alternative-fuel automaker, after concerns about meeting terms of the agreement.
Despite the layoffs, CorWorth officials said they’re forging ahead.
“We knew there would be some of this. We’re right on track. We’re changing products. We’re working with other states,” Worthing said. “We’ve been talking to all the cities around the area. We’ve been talking to Marble Falls about how we can upgrade their facilities.”
The average full-time job salary at CorWorth is $34,000.
For more about the company, go to www.corworth.com.
connie@thepicayune.com