WATERTOWN — Jain Irrigation, formerly Chapin Watermatics, appears likely to close, David J. Zembiec, CEO of Jefferson County Economic Development said.
“It looks like they are closing,” he said.
Mr. Zembiec said he had not heard official word from the company at 740 Water St. as of 8 p.m. Thursday.
He said they are trying to figure out how JCED will handle it as over 50 employees will lose their jobs once the closure becomes official.
WWNYTV-7 obtained an email from Jain Irrigation Water Management Solutions Vice President Richard Restuccia and he said to the TV station that “the use of drip irrigation tape in agriculture has grown enormously in the Western US and Mexico.”
“Unfortunately, with the status of the global irrigation markets, the strong dollar, rising transportation, and operational costs, the scale of the Watertown plant necessitated consolidation more near end markets for Rivulis to remain competitive in the Irrigation Industry,” he told 7 News.
Mr. Zembiec said his agency is hoping to find employment for the people who will lose their jobs when Jain Irrigation closes.
He said this is a loss from a longstanding member of the north country’s business community, which has been supportive of the community.
Last June, Jain Irrigation Systems was sold and merged into Rivulis, another company that manufactures microirrigation systems, which are billed as environmentally friendly methods of delivering just the right amount of water, in small pipes directly to growing plants while avoiding overwatering or water waste.
Jain Corp. purchased its Watertown operations in 2006 from Chapin Watermatics, which was founded in Watertown by Richard D. Chapin in 1962.
“The bottom line is it looks like we’re losing those jobs and we’re working with all of our partners in workforce development and economic development to try to find a place for these people to land so they can keep earning a paycheck,” Mr. Zembiec said.
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