GE Idles Soft White Halogen Line in Circleville

The GE Lighting plant in Circleville, Ohio, will idle its “Soft White” halogen lamp assembly line for about five weeks beginning next Monday, to allow demand from retailers to catch up with supply, according to a report from the Columbus Dispatch. About 50 employees will be affected, with about half of them assigned to other work in the plant, according to the story. The line and its roughly 50 jobs were brought to Circleville last year, moving production away from a plant outside the country. The plant has a total of 233 employees on several lines.

“The Soft White bulb is one of our most popular bulbs on the market, and we expect that to continue into 2015,” the Dispatch quoted GE spokesperson Alicia Gauer. “This (temporary lack of work) is a result of end-of-year customer needs and our ability to meet those needs with inventory we’ve already produced.”

Read the full story: "Circleville GE Lighting plant idles Soft White assembly line," by Dan Gearino, Columbus Dispatch