A trailer manufacturing plant in Caldwell will soon close its doors.
Big Tex Trailers filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with the Idaho Department of Labor on March 8, announcing it would be closing for good in May. In the notice, the trailer company, which is a subsidiary of American Trailer World or ATW, said 127 people would lose their jobs as a result of the closure.
WARN notices are mandated under a federal law that requires any employer with 100 or more full-time employees to provide at least 60 calendar days advance written notice of a worksite closing that will affect 50 or more employees. There are also stipulations on providing notices for mass layoffs.
Big Tex has been in Caldwell since 2009. The Texas company manufactures multiple types of trailers, including gooseneck trailers, car hauler trailers, utility trailers, and dump trailers. They employ a number of welders, painters, and general laborers, according to the company’s Facebook page.
Big Tex acquired Circle J Trailers of Caldwell in 2009. Circle J was a local company founded in 1958, according to a 2009 story from trade publication Trailer Body Builders. Circle J had focused on horse trailers and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008.
“We are really excited about this new opportunity with Circle J Trailers,” Big Tex’s then-CEO Ricky Baker said in 2009. “The name is legendary and it is truly an honor to be associated with the history and reputation of Circle J.”
Big Tex phased out the Circle J brand name after the acquisition.
The company had been recruiting for new workers as recently as January.
The notice filed with the state says the employee layoffs will begin “on or about May 11, 2024.”
Big Tex did not return requests for comment by deadline regarding the reason for the closure of its Caldwell location or if any other locations would also be shutting down.
