Club Car Announces Furloughs At Its Augusta, GA Facility

Augusta, GA – June 17 2009 (NYSE: IR) — Club Car has announced that the company will furlough several employees at its Augusta, GA plant.

(Press release below, via e-mail)

“Club Car, Inc., a business unit of Ingersoll Rand, has announced it is implementing a plan requiring two weeks of unpaid furlough for its salaried exempt, salaried non-exempt and approximately 50 hourly employees to be scheduled by the employees between now and the end of the year. Affected employees will be required to take one week of unpaid leave in the third quarter of 2009 and the fourth quarter of 2009.

‘We have continued to see the effects of the global economic downturn, and as a result we have considered several approaches to reducing costs,‘ said Gary Michel, Club Car President and Chief Executive Officer. ‘After assessing the situation it has been decided that we will institute a mandatory furlough program as a way to generate the necessary cost savings with as little impact as possible on our employees and our business.‘

Additionally, Club Car’s hourly workforce will observe its normal two-week shutdown beginning in July with and additional one week of shutdown in response to ongoing economic challenges and to make the necessary manufacturing adjustments to prepare for key product updates needed to position the company for future long term success.

‘Despite our previous staffing and cost reductions, we must continue to be very cautious and mindful of our overall cost structure,‘ said Michel. ‘At the same time we must maintain critical and needed levels of resources in order to concentrate and respond to the needs of our customers both now and in the future.‘

In all, the furloughs affect about 450 workers.