[9/06/2001]Penco Products, a company that has operated a plant on U.S. 61 South for 11 years, has closed and left 90 people out of work.

Penco, based in Oaks, Pa., makes lockers for school, gym and other uses and other products such as shelves.

“This is part of a corporate move to consolidate,” said Jimmy Heidel, executive vice president of the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce.

Although no one from Penco would comment on the reasons for closing the local plant, the company’s Web site said the company had recently bought a 283,000-square-foot building in Hamilton, N.C., and it planned to move its Vicksburg and Oaks operations to that facility.

Penco has another plant in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Heidel said he was told the Vicksburg plant would close at the end of August. Although the community has lost the 90 jobs Penco provided, Heidel said he believes the local job market could probably absorb all or most of the people at existing industries.

“A lot of communities have not had (an industrial) prospect in a year. We’re getting them every month,” he said.

Heidel said the Penco building will be available to show to potential buyers in October.