Pandemic spurs more freight-related job cuts

Smith Industries, County Fresh Products in Texas laying off 382 employees

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, two freight-related companies in Texas are eliminating 382 jobs. (Photo: Smith Industries)

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted two freight-related businesses to eliminate a total of nearly 400 jobs, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notices filed in Texas.

Country Fresh Products, located in the Houston area, said it is curtailing its operations at the facility “due to a decline in sales volume and reduction in demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The layoffs mean the permanent elimination of 310 REX Staffing LLC employees who are assigned to work at the facility.

The company is a wholesaler of fresh produce and vegetables and operates four trucks, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Smith Industries said it is laying off 72 employees at its location in Midland. The company, founded in 2004, fabricates and hauls storage tanks, heat treaters and other equipment for the oil industry.

Smith Industries operates 15 trucks and employs eight drivers, according to the FMCSA.

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Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com