Layoffs at Arkadelphia roofing products maker

The Siplast facility located in the Clark County Industrial Park, in Gum Springs, is one of two Siplast locations in Clark County. | Google Maps screenshot

ARKADELPHIA, Arkansas — One of Clark County’s largest manufacturers informed employees that their job would be affected by a shift reduction.

Siplast, which until the layoffs was the county’s ninth-largest employer, is reducing the number of shifts at its Arkadelphia facility.

Sources told The Arkadelphian that up to 20 employees would be affected. We reached out to company officials this morning, and by mid-afternoon a company spokesperson returned our call. We provided a list of written inquiries — asking the number of employees affected, how long the layoffs are expected to last, whether the layoffs are specific to the Arkadelphia facility, and other questions — and by 9 p.m. a company spokesperson e-mailed this official response:

“We continuously assess market needs and make adjustments accordingly. Most recently, this has resulted in the difficult decision to reduce the number of shifts in our Arkadelphia facility. We are grateful to all of our employees for their contributions and are committed to assisting those who have been impacted by this change. We will continue to support the community and deliver the best-in-class solutions that Siplast is known for.”

In the company statement, Siplast did not refute or confirm the number of reported layoffs.

Siplast develops and manufactures high-performance commercial roofing and waterproofing systems. Earlier this year some 120 workers were employed at its Arkadelphia and Gum Springs facilities. In addition to its two major Arkansas facilities, both of which are in Clark County, Siplast lists its corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, as well as an additional Canadian office in North Vancouver, British Columbia.