Greenbrier Notifies State of Layoffs at Northwest Portland Railcar Plant

The layoffs follow an earlier announcement that the company would cease making railcars locally.

A welder works on side assemblies for intermodal rail cars at the Gunderson Rail Car Plant in Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. (Natalie Behring/Bloomberg News) (NATALIE BEHRING)
By Nigel Jaquiss

The Greenbrier Companies officially notified the state of Oregon and local elected officials of the layoffs of 101 workers at its Northwest Portland railcar factory.

The Lake Oswego-based company previously told shareholders in a scheduled quarterly earnings release that it would discontinue its Gunderson subsidiaries’ longtime railcar business here.

The company said it is shifting operations to other facilities closer to its supply chain and markets.

“This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly, given our history of manufacturing railcars in Portland. However, it’s an action that reflects our commitment to optimize the efficiency of our manufacturing footprint and deliver stronger margin,” Greenbrier president Lorie Tekorius said in call with investment analysts earlier this month.

Gunderson has operated on the Northwest waterfront for more than a century. Greenbrier also manufactures barges on the sprawling Willamette Riverfront property, although officials said in a January call that business was under review.

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