Tulsa trucking company shutting down Kiefer facility

 

A 75-year old Tulsa-based trucking company is closing one of its operations and laying off 51 employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stone Trucking informed the Oklahoma Office of Workforce Development of its intentions to shut down its operations in Kiefer.

Stephen Royce, Executive Vice President of Human Resources blamed the action on the “dramatic downturn in business caused by the coronavirus natural disaster.”

In a WARN notice to the state, he also explained the move was necessary because of “he recent failure of an opportunity to sell the company to allow for continued operations.”

The closing of the Kiefer facility and layoffs will be effective July 3.

“We were unable to provide more advance notice of this action because these circumstances were not reasonably foreseeable until recently when the full scope of COVID-19’s impact upon
our business became clear and the sale of the business fell through. The entire facility will be closed and all employees at the facility will be impacted,” wrote Royce.

The separation for the employees started on Wednesday. Stone Trucking was established in 1945 and was considered a flatbed, oversize and heavy haul carrier headquartered in Tulsa operating throughout the U.S. and in Canada.

Its trucks were used by energy companies in moving coolers, heat exchangers, compressors, vessels, tanks, drilling rigs, pipe and heavy control equipment.

Stone has 10 terminals throughout Texas as well.

Source: Office of Workforce Development