After announcing earlier this month that the company would lay off some employees while readying a new plant in Mexico, Rheem Manufacturing laid off approximately 450 people Thursday. Baldwin County Sheriff’s Deputies worked a security detail at the plant Thursday, but there were no incidents or arrests related to the lay off, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.

The new plant in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico will begin production of N-style evaporator coils and some Rheem and Ruud brand rectangular air conditioning and heat pump products in its new 400,000 square foot facility. That plant will be up and running Nov. 3. In the meantime, 450 employees are out of a job in what the company calls a temporary layoff.

It is unclear at this point whether or not the temporary layoff classification would place limitations on employees’ unemployment benefits.

Some equipment from the Milledgeville plant will be transported to the new facility. Production of the N-style air conditioner coil ends today in Milledgeville.

According to one employee who was laid off Thursday, the layoffs came quickly.

“We were laid off at the last minute. We have families and no jobs,” Akita Harris said.

Harris told The Union-Recorder that the company employees who still have jobs will not return to work until Nov. 3 and that all next week, training for workers from the Mexican plant is rumored to get under way.

The plant will be temporarily shut down for the next week.

The company issued a statement in early October indicating that the Milledgeville plant will continue to produce the company’s main line of Rheem and Ruud air conditioners, as well as heat pump products, air handlers, multi-flex evaporator coils and oil furnaces.

Calls to Rheem’s human resources office and plant manager were either not answered or not returned Thursday.

Prior to the layoff, Rheem employed more than 800 people.