Major Ark-La-Tex Employer Plans to Layoff Nearly 50 Workers.

Long time employees of Lone Star Army Ammunitions Plant were told they need to look for new jobs. The plant is slated for shutdown in the future, but the job trimming is already underway. The employees are a part of Day and Zimmermann, the operating contractor at the ammunition plant. They blame a reduction of contract completion and less work. Over the past few decades, the staff there has gone from more than 12,000 to about 300 now. Many getting the news have been with the company for more than 20 years. "It`s not an easy task. It`s not something you take lightly but its something we must do to go forward and bring additional work contracts to keep the jobs we do have," Jerry Smith, vice president of Day and Zimmerman said. Employees who are involved in the layoff are being given two weeks pay, among other things, as part of a severance pacakage. Smith also said his company is fighting to stay open and fighting to keep the remaining 300-jobs in Bowie County. "Day and Zimmerman is committed to staying here and keeping our operations at this plant. We want to stay in business. You`ve seen a lot from the local community, trying to keep us here but we`ve got miles to go before we sleep." Attempts are being made privatize Lone Star and keep it open. Recently law makers even proposed using the land for an oil refinery. It was on the Base Re-alignment and Closure, or BRAC list last year. The Army has until 2011 to close the base.