AGCO lays off 111 workers at Hesston and Beloit plants

Further layoffs at AGCO plants in Kansas will affect more than 100 workers, according to a news release from the company.

AGCO said it had eliminated 72 positions this week at its Hesston facility, atop the 24 jobs that were eliminated on Aug. 26. Company officials said the layoffs represented about 6 percent of the Hesston workforce.

In Beloit, 39 hourly positions were eliminated. According to the news release, that represents about 10 percent of the company’s Beloit workforce.

“The agriculture economy has always been cyclical, marking time with historic ebbs and flows that have caused industry leaders to adapt accordingly,” Dennis Branch, vice president of AGCO North American human resources, said in a statement. “Just as the market has required an expansion of our workforce in recent years, today it dictates workforce reductions across the equipment industry. We’ll continue to focus on minimizing the impact on our employees and our business operations as best we can.”

The Beloit facility primarily produces tillage tools under multiple AGCO brand names. The Hesston facility primarily produces hay and harvesting products.

This story was originally published September 24, 2014 at 9:04 AM with the headline "AGCO lays off 111 workers at Hesston and Beloit plants."