A small crowd hangs outside Maggie's Idle Hour Bar in Mount Morris Friday evening, still grappling with some tough local business news.
"Even though I'm retired and it's doesn't affect me, it affects a lot of people I know. I am very sad about it," Mount Morris Resident Gwen Blanco said.
The retired Kable News worker reacts to company's plans to move its Fulfillment Division to Palm Coast, Florida. In 2007, Kable merged with a company there called Palm Coast Data.
"They've not shared any information about this with the village or the employees as I'm told until today," Village President Greg Unger said.
Unger says this surprise announcement could affect around 400 local workers. A Palm Coast Data statement says they'll phase out the closure over roughly two years. They'll notify local workers about jobs in Florida "as more information about the transition process becomes available."
"Economically it will be very heart-felt through the business and traffic we lose," Unger said.
Unger also says there's a personal hit with company workers making up local churches and community groups. He says the village will work on recruiting more business going forward. Folks like Blanco expect a slow recovery.
"This is a big business. It's going to leave a big hole I think," Blanco said.
The fulfillment division works with publishers on name lists for magazines and insert materials. As for why the consolidation in Florida, Palm Coast Data says the move solidifies their merger with Kable and says their hometown had a competitive package, including strong magazine resources and local business incentives.
A Kabel employee, who spoke off camera, says employees found out about this news during a meeting Friday. And afterwards, she said the mood was somber and silent. She added that the chance for a job relocation is possible, but workers weren't given more specifics.