FREDONIA — Next month could be the end of a 50-year legacy for an Ozaukee County company.
Guy & O'Neill manufacturing plant in Fredonia sent a notice to the state Department of Workforce Development that the company will be shutting down by Jan. 31.
Nearly 200 employees could be looking for a new job this time next month, but the company that makes everything from wet wipes to beauty care liquids is still hopeful they’ll be able to keep their doors open.
Human Resources Manager Kristen Voigt told TMJ4 the cause of the closure is due to the private equity company that owned them deciding to sell.
Watch: Guy & O'Neill in Fredonia shutting down:
Without another buyer, the company will be forced to shut down.
They were in the final stages with an interested buyer before that deal fell through.
TMJ4 spoke to employees off camera who said they've known about the possibility of being let go and hope to see the doors in Fredonia stay open.
Voigt says they still have a few weeks to secure a new owner before they need to shut down the company.
“We are not done yet, we have not given up the fight,” said Voigt. “We still have a lot of irons in the fire and things that could work out, and we’re really hopeful that we’ll be able to get something turned around so that everybody will be exactly where they are today.”
Though they are hopeful that can happen, she says they are preparing for the worst to make sure all of their employees will be set up for success no matter what happens.
“I’ve been reached out to by several area companies that have heard that this could be a possibility and they want to help our people, too, so we will do whatever we can if we come to that point.”
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