Wichita logistics company to lay off 255 employees after Boeing 737 Max production halt

Plans from a global logistics company to cut jobs in Wichita are connected to a production halt on the Boeing 737 Max, workforce officials said.

Schenker Inc. plans to lay off 255 employees, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. A WARN notice is required of certain employers 60 days in advance of mass layoffs. The company’s Wichita office is at 3355 S. Oliver, near the Spirit AeroSystems campus.

“DB Schenker is taking this action to adjust to order demand by our client,” the company said in a news release. “We are committed to working through this transition and supporting our employees in a manner consistent with our core values.”

A Schenker spokesperson did not directly respond to a question of whether the workforce reduction at its distribution center is connected to the 737 Max suspension and layoffs at Spirit. Schenker has been a logistics provider at Spirit’s fuselage manufacturing plant in Wichita.

Amanda Duncan of the area Workforce Alliance said Schenker’s announcement is related to the Boeing 737 Max production halt and that the company has logistics and supply chain management employees embedded on-site with Spirit. The Alliance is working with the company to provide affected employees with resources ahead of losing their jobs.

Schenker’s mass layoff comes after Spirit announced a layoff of nearly 2,800 employees in Wichita, which represents about 20% of the company’s workforce in the city.

This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 5:51 PM.