With less than 90 days to remain open, up to 70 people could be affected by the closure of Gowanda REM-tronics in Dunkirk.

On Monday, at least some if not all employees of REM-tronics received a certified letter stating the company has made the “difficult decision to completely close the REM-tronics Dunkirk facility on or about November 15, 2020, in order to preserve and protect the future of the company at large.”

In a phone call Tuesday with the OBSERVER, Mark Geise, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency director, said he heard rumors of the possibility of REM-tronics closing last week. “I reached out the company to have a conversation about what we can possibly do to help them change their mind,” he said. “I did speak to a company representative who deferred me to speak with the folks in Gowanda. I am awaiting a call back from them.”

Geise said the individual he talked to was not a company spokesman and could only redirect him to the main office.

When asked if he knew how many people could be laid off, Geise told the OBSERVER, “I believe there’s around 70 that work there. I don’t know if others are being offered positions in other facilities,” he said.

In the letter that was sent to employees Monday, it sounds as though all are being laid off. “… at this time REM-tronics anticipates permanently laying off all employees,” the letter states. They added that as the Nov. 15 date gets closer, company officials will “be in touch regarding any potential future opportunities.”

No matter what happens, Geise said the county wants to help both the company and its individual employees. “We’re trying to do everything we can to get them to change their mind and if nothing else, we want to help people find gainful employment at other locations in the company or elsewhere,” he said.

Mayor Wilfred Rosas said Monday night Dunkirk’s Development Department has also reached out to Gowanda REM-tronics to see if there is anything they can do.

Gowanda REM-tronics, located at 659 Brigham Road in Dunkirk, was formed in April, 2019, after Gowanda Components Group took over REM-tronics. REM-tronics had been in Silver Creek from 1950 to 2010, when it relocated to the city.

The company is a contract manufacturer of high-reliability products for the aerospace, industrial, medical and military industries. It blamed the closure on the current pandemic, which has negatively impacted the avionics and fiber optics sensor markets.

According to the Gowanda Components Group website, it has eight facilities — Gowanda REM-tronics in Dunkirk; Gowanda Electronics in Gowanda; GCG Tech Center in Gowanda; Butler Winding, Communication Coil, Instec Filters & TTE Filters in Arcade; HiSonic in Olathe, Kan.; DYCO Electronics in Hornell, NY; Microwave Circuits in Beltsville, Md.; and RCD Components in Manchester, N.H.