Holtsville plant closing; 25 layoffs loom

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a laboratory supply company, plans to close a small Holtsville plant later this year as a cost-saving move, resulting in layoffs for all of its 25 employees, the company said Tuesday.

It said the size of the site, along with the cost of labor, energy and materials relative to the company's other locations, were factors in the decision.

The manufacturing facility, at 4000 Point St., makes glass for the aerospace industry.

It will close by Sept. 30, a spokesman for the Waltham, Mass., company said.

The company has a global manufacturing and sales presence, supplying laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services for research, safety, health care and science education.

"Business decisions that result in the loss of jobs are always difficult," Ron O'Brien, public relations director for Thermo Fisher, said in a statement. "However, these actions are designed to strengthen our operations, help us better serve our customers worldwide and provide continued growth opportunities for our 39,000 employees over the long term."

O'Brien said Thermo Fisher "will do everything possible to support the 25 employees at this site who are affected."