MANNING, S.C. (BRAIN) — Kent International will lay off 64 workers at its Bicycle Corporation of America facility here, effective June 25. The company has filed a notice with the state of South Carolina on the layoffs, saying it was due to the "permanent closure" of the facility.
Kent Chairman Arnold Kamler told BRAIN the company will stop production at the end of June for a variety of reasons but said if things change in the future they are open to restarting. Kamler has said high tariffs on the China-made components and frames used at the facilty made it impossible to assemble the bikes profitably in the U.S.
