Napoleon recalls employees after significant layoffs

Napoleon, a large manufacturer of fireplaces, grills, outdoor heating, and cooling products in Barrie, has recalled 30 employees who were laid off in November.

The employees, who work in the fabric department and on the assembly line, were notified last week of their recall.

According to the President of Napoleon, Mike Tzimas, the recall is due to a rebalancing of inventory and production schedules.

The company cut 80 jobs in September and temporarily laid off 100 workers in November.

"Overall, right now, we're just kind of making sure we are reacting to current market conditions, overall, so there is hope that other bunches of individuals and associates could come back in the not-too-distant future," Tzimas said.

The jobs being brought back pay over $20 an hour.

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall views the recall as a positive sign for the market.

"We hope to see that spread continue where we will see continuous hires obviously instead of the layoffs we have been seeing over the past few months," the mayor noted. "It's tough right now, you know, inflation rates are really dragging on."

Napoleon will make decisions on any additional callbacks on a weekly basis.

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