‘It's a blow’: API shutting down in Village of Arcade will impact 130 employees

ARCADE, NY (WKBW) — “It was it was kind of a surprise to me. It was a blow,” remarked Donna Schiener, mayor, Village of Arcade.

API Airtech, a heat transfer company on North Street in the Wyoming County Village of Arcade will be closing and that will mean the loss of 130 jobs.

The New York State Department of Labor revealed the closure of the manufacturing facility in a "Warn" notice stating the reason is “economic”.

“Anytime a business leaves your community, it's a blow, and it breaks my heart every time whether it's a small business or a large manufacturing plant,” Schiener replied.

Mayor Schiener tells me she found out last week API will be closing at the end of April. The mayor says she feels sad for the 130 employees who will lose their jobs.

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“I understand the API has been very generous and very, very conscious of their workers with severance packages and taking care of them and possibly putting them in other facilities where they are,” remarked Schiener.

The company has a larger facility in Cheektowaga and operations in Wisconsin, Germany, and China.

In a news release, the company says it will be providing financial and other transitional assistance for the 130 employees affected.

“I know API’s corporate headquarters is very concerned with the relocation of some of them to retain them and their skill sets because they have a wonderful skill set opportunity,” explained Donna Purdy, Arcade Area Chamber of Commerce.

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But in the small, Wyoming County village, the Chamber of Commerce is already working to help find future jobs for the 130 community members and Sandy Purdy is leading that charge.

“What is the mood among them right now?” Buckley asked.

“I think in the beginning, it was very sad, and they've all done the roller coaster of emotions. It's coming at the end of the year in front of a holiday. But I think it's a leveling off,” Purdy replied.

Purdy tells me she's working with API on a plan to provide resources to the arcade workers.

“I have contacted different manufacturing facilities, and they're very interested in hosting job fairs in February,” explained Purdy.

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There are two other manufacturing plants in the village and the mayor says one is in the process of expanding.

“The village of our Arcade generates 75% of the Wyoming County’s industrial revenue, so we have a lot a lot of things going for us,” Mayor Schiener noted.

Both the mayor and chamber leader are confident a future business could move into the API facility

“Our hope is that a company moves in quite quickly and could bring more potential jobs, so potentially, or a new kind of job opportunity,” Purdy said.

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“We have our own electric department, and we have a very low-cost electric, which really makes our area appealing to a lot of the industries because they can get very inexpensive power for their facilities,” the Mayor commented.

The mayor says her village has remained resilient to economic bumps.

“We lost a Ford dealership last year. It's already full. We lost a restaurant, a large restaurant last year, it's already been replaced by another one. It's going to be moving in in the spring, so I’m very proud of the village,” reflected Mayor Schiener.