Montrose, CO — In response to the announcement regarding Russell Stover’s intent to close their Montrose factory in 2021, the City of Montrose created a Quick Response Team to address the impact on the Montrose community.
The city received notice from Russell Stover corporate offices early Tuesday morning, and by 11 a.m., a Quick Response Team was created. Led by City Manager and DART Economic Vitality Committee Chair, Bill Bell, the City of Montrose put together the team comprised of representatives from the city, Montrose County, Colorado Workforce Center, Montrose Economic Development Corporation, Region 10, and the city’s Development and Revitalization Team (DART).
Discussions during the meeting centered around factors contributing to the factory’s closure, possible next steps, and the importance of being proactive in supporting the factory’s employees.
Representatives from the Montrose Workforce Center, a division of the Colorado Department of Labor, said they will be reaching out to Russell Stover to help with transition planning for approximately 400 employees.
"Russell Stover gave 15 months notice, which helps tremendously in this effort," Bell said. “Montrose is a very resilient community with a strong economy, we will be working as a team to prepare for this transition while creating new business opportunities later this year.”
The team highlighted the importance of filling the very large facility as soon as possible after closure and the importance of continuing job creation and business development efforts at the City and County level to help mitigate the impacts on job loss over the next 12-24 months.
The team reported there will be more information regarding Russell Stover’s transition from Montrose once it becomes available.
For more city news visit: CityOfMontrose.org.