Opacmare lays off staff at Canada facility

The Italian equipment maker, which received more than C$3m in provincial aid, pares its workforce back to one.
Opacmare Americas has laid off all of its staff except one, according to CBC News. The Italian marine equipment manufacturer established an office in Poole’s Corner, Prince Edward Island in 2008.
Opacmare Americas, which received more than C$3m in government aid, originally planned to employ more than 100. But the news service said that about six were recently working in Poole’s Corner. The facility was making teak and stainless gangways, and hydraulic cranes for tenders.

Innovation Minister Allen Roach told the news agency that it was recently informed about the layoffs. He says Opacmare owes the province about C$2.5m.

"They're paying their bills up to date, so it's up to Opacmare to decide what they want to do," Roach told CBC. "They're still a very solvent company in Italy, and they always have been. They've paid all their bills since they've been here. The only thing that fell down, of course, was the jobs that were promised back in 2007 when this all first started."

Roach blamed the global recession for the drop in Opacmare’s yachting business.