PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – As 2021 approaches, uncertainty lingers for some employees at Berg Pipe in Panama City.
Andrew Hicks, Vice President of Operations, said he anticipates 2021 to be an “up and down” year for the facility.
He said due to the pandemic, the demand for energy isn’t high, and there aren’t as many projects lined up.
Hicks said furloughs, or temporary layoffs, will most likely start at the end of February for a couple of weeks and then again after April.
He said most employees would still be eligible to keep their benefits while furloughed.
Since the pandemic started, Hicks said Berg Pipe has been fortunate to keep all full-time employees working.
“There are roughly 10 facilities that make a similar product and of those, there are only 4 running since the pandemic,” said Hicks. “We are so fortunate we have kept running.”
Hick said this industry is cyclical but he’s hopeful there will be more projects the company can serve.
