When Waupaca Foundry, a large iron works company with operations in several states, announced the closure of its plant in Etowah, Tennessee, in April 2022 and shed 86% of its workforce, Brad Moses was one of those who lost their jobs. An environmental, health and safety manager at the foundry, he had given 24 years of his life to the company, raising his family in the county. It was tough for the 52-year-old, who has a wife and seven kids. “At first, you’re concerned about the security for your family, and you know you’ll miss the relationships that you’ve built over the years.”
With more than 500 workers let go as Waupaca’s local operations ground to a halt, the closing was devastating to the community of 3,600 residents in Etowah — a historic rail town built by the Louisville & Nashville railroad in 1906 and arguably the first planned community in the country. “Five hundred isn’t a lot for major cities, but for rural America, those job losses can be devastating,” said John Squires, vice president of economic and community development at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee. Etowah and McMinn County are “blue collar to the core and have a very strong manufacturing background,” with over 30% of the workforce in manufacturing, noted Lindsey Ferguson, executive director of the McMinn County Economic Development Authority.
