Employers Announce Layoffs in Middle TN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Four Middle Tennessee employers, including two automotive companies, have laid off more than 300 workers in the past few months.

State Labor Department spokesman Jeff Hentschel told The Tennessean that the layoffs announced on Monday show that the state is experiencing a rapid pace of job losses.

La Vergne-based Quality Industries Inc., a precision metal fabricator that made parts for Peterbilt Motors Co., laid off 111 this month.

An additional 125 lost their jobs at Unipres USA Inc., a maker of metal-stamped car parts, in Portland.

One hundred workers were laid off in April from Handleman Co. in Murfreesboro. The Michigan-based company distributed music CDs to retailers like Wal-Mart.

Gibson Guitar reported 50 layoffs in Nashville.