BURKART FOAM INC. TO CLOSE CAIRO PLANT

CAIRO, Ill. -- The closing of Burkart Foam Inc. was no big surprise to city officials.

"They've had a skeleton crew there for awhile," Cairo Mayor James Wilson said. "We expected them to close about any time."

Burkart company officials, who were not available Thursday, issued a 60-day closing statement Wednesday. The plant will close Oct. 1.

The loss of the plant, which manufactured foam for auto seats, carpeting and bedding, means more than the loss of jobs, said Wilson. Its tax base will affect the city, county and schools.

The mayor said the plant was in a good location, but that there was no immediate prospects for a new business.

The Burkart plant is located on a 500,000-square-foot area in the northern part of town. It was one of the largest employers in the area during the 1970s, employing as many as 500 workers.

At one time, Burkart, a division of Textron, was dependent on the automotive industry, but in the 1970s, the company branched out, producing foam for the furniture and bedding industry.

Employment at the plant decreased in recent years, but was above the 100 level earlier this year.

Even before Burkart announced its closing, Alexander County was second on the unemployment list of Southern Illinois counties, with an 11.5 percent unemployment rate, second only to neighboring Pulaski County, at 12.7 percent.