Jeffboat to idle 278 workers at southern Indiana shipyard

JEFFERSONVILLE, Indiana (AP) ― Barge and towboat manufacturer Jeffboat LLC has notified the state of Indiana it will lay off 278 workers at its Jeffersonville shipyard because of slumping demand.

Jeff boat notified the Indiana Department of Workforce Development of the layoffs on Nov. 1.

Company Vice President Mike Poindexter said in a statement the layoffs will occur over the next several months.

Jeffboat employs between 800 and 1,000 people at the shipyard at any one time, depending on the projects the company is working on. In June, Jeffboat employed 1,060 people, according to the economic development agency One Southern Indiana.

Jeffboat is owned by American Commercial Barge Lines.