Yorktown Refinery to cease most operations; more than 300 employees affected

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Newport News, Virginia, Daily Press

By Jon Cawley, [e-mail] | 757-247-4635

10:20 a.m. EDT, August 6, 2010

YORK — Western Refining Inc. will immediately cease refining operations at its Yorktown plant. The move will idle most of the facility and cost hundreds of jobs.

Suspending refining operations is expected to take about six weeks to complete and was driven by poor profit margins, according to Gary Hanson, a Western spokesman. Company officials notified employees Thursday.

About 230 of the refinery's approximately 260 employees will lose their jobs, Hanson said. Jim Noel, York County's economic development director, said about 100 contract employees will also be affected. Hanson confirmed the company's use of contract workers, but said the number fluctuates depending on need and he couldn't provide an accurate estimate.
....

Western officials also left the door open for restarting refining operations should economic conditions improve. Until then, the closure's sting will be felt by more than Western's employees. The Texas-based company is one of York County's largest tax payers. As a manufacturer, Western pays real estate and machinery and tool taxes. Noel said the company's total tax bill is about $4.2 million annually.

Read more: http://www.dailypress.com/business/peninsula-businesses/dp-nws-york-refinery-20100805,0,4292123.story

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. Same old, same old..Cut production, reduce supply of oil,....

and price goes up with profits. The best is when they talk about opening up the refinery the state and local reps will bend over backwards giving them tax breaks to open. It's win, win, win. I get it.
Edit Oh yeah, the dumb populace will scream for the tax breaks so they can get their old jobs back at a third of the pay they made before the closing.

[damntexdem]

2. How very unrefined.

Perpetrated by some oily characters from my state.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Hey, I thought the big complaint was that there are not enuf refineries? WTF?

The oil barons (R) are forever telling us they HAVE to jack up the prices because of insufficient refining capacity.

WTF is up wit dis?

[SpiralHawk]

4. Hey, I thought the big complaint was that there are not enuf refineries? WTF?

The oil barons (R) are forever telling us they HAVE to jack up the prices because of insufficient refining capacity.

WTF is up wit dis?

[atreides1]

5. Hey Bob McDonnell???

Where are those jobs you kept talking about during your campaign???