Trane Rehiring 165 Laid-Off Employees By BRIAN PEARSON, Business Editor   |   May 06, 2009

Seasonal employment and consumers taking advantage of a federal economic stimulus package set the wheels in motion for the rehiring of 165 employees laid off last year from the Trane facility in Tyler, a company official said Tuesday.
Increased demand for central heating and cooling units made it possible to rehire more than half of the 300 workers the company laid off at the end of last year, spokeswoman Jerianne Thomas said.

Trane in early December announced that it was cutting 300 jobs in Tyler.

"There was a seasonal element to this, but it was more than it typically is," Thomas said.

Earlier this month, the company laid off another 30 workers nationwide, but did not specify how many of those jobs were lost at the Tyler plant.

According to Tyler Economic Development Council figures, Trane is the city's fifth largest employer, with 1,949 workers.

The No. 1 employer, East Texas Medical Center, has 3,650 employees, followed by Trinity Mother Frances, the Tyler Independent School District and Brookshire's Grocery Co.

Trane has about 4,000 employees nationwide, Thomas said.

More 3,000 industrial and manufacturing jobs have been lost in the Tyler area the past year, including jobs at Trane, Tyler Pipe, Goodyear and CB&I.

Thomas said demand for Trane products has increased thanks to President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package, which gives tax credit to consumers who purchase more efficient heating and cooling systems.

She said some of the rehiring was seasonal, with the hot summer months looming. She could not estimate how many seasonal workers the company typically rehires.

"We're delighted to have more folks back in the plant," she said. "The mood is good."