Erie bagged ice company lays off 20 workers

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — An Erie company that helps manufacture machines that produce freshly bagged ice for resale in supermarkets and convenience stores is laying off about 20 workers because of a problem with a major order.

Kold-Draft Industries has been making automatic ice cube machines since 1955 and early last year partnered with In-Store Bagging Machine Co., based near Dallas, to produce the new machine that enable supermarkets to make and bag their own logo-branded bags of ice.

Len Kosar, who heads Kold-Draft’s parent company says an order for 1,000 machines has hit a snag, forcing the company to cut back production to four days a week and to cut at least 14 temporary workers and six permanent engineering jobs. Before the cuts, the Erie plant employed 105 people.

Kosar tells the Erie Times-News the setback is only temporary.