Napoleon cuts 80 manufacturing jobs

North America's largest privately-owned fireplace manufacturer has cut dozens of jobs that had been created to ramp up production through the pandemic.

Napoleon announced 80 layoffs over the past week of permanent full-time associates from its Barrie locations.

"Like any business, we're ensuring that we're here for the next 46 years," said Napoleon president Mike Tzimas.

The company employs more than 1,300 workers at its facilities in the city's south end and just outside Barrie.

Tzimas said Napoleon had to convert to a permanent full-time model to attract associates due to "strong sales and increasing demand."

"Through the pandemic, we've had to recently ramp up a significant amount of production and our employee staff to meet the significant demands of products we manufacture here in Barrie," Tzimas said, noting those jobs are no longer needed.

"Like any seasonal business, we're just on the other side of that, and recently over the past week, we've had to, unfortunately, continue with our seasonal adjustments, and we've rebalanced our production lines and schedules, and we've had to let go of 80 associates."

Last year, Napoleon held a job fair to fill 100 positions on its assembly line.

"Really, it's nothing we haven't done pre-pandemic," he said of the layoffs. "We're basically kind of moving towards kind of the traditional model we had pre-COVID."

Napoleon's former president, Ron McArthur, said the move doesn't necessarily mean more job cuts.

"I think it's important to understand all's were doing today is what we've always done is balance that labour between casual and full-time," McArthur said.

"This was the best decision to ensure that we're here, and as inventory and global supply chains re-stabilize, we will be bringing people back and rebalancing our production lines accordingly," Tzimas added.

The company's president said it remains committed to providing made-in-Canada products worldwide as it expands while balancing the rising cost of doing business on the other side of the pandemic.

With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides