Arvato Digital Services in Weaverville announces February 2016 closure

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Update Dec. 13: The Asheville Citizen-Times confirms the news, reports 120 jobs will be lost.

Original post Dec. 7: Arvato Digital Services announced today that it plans to close its Weaverville manufacturing facility in February 2016, according to a loyal Ashvegas reader. (Arvato operates both a call center and a manufacturing facility here.) There was a meeting Monday, and packages were offered to full-time workers, but that’s the only detail I’ve received so far. I don’t yet know how many people will be out of jobs.

Arvato, which was formerly Sonopress in Weaverille, has been operating in north Buncombe County for about 30 years. The company is a replicator and distributor, mostly through CDs and DVDs, of everything from software to music to video games and more.

Here’s more from an Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce 2010 press release about a planned $1.8 million investment in its Weaverville operation:

Arvato Digital Services, in Weaverville, plans to invest $1.8 million in capital improvements to assist in the creation of 408 net new jobs over the next three years as it positions itself for future business opportunities. The firm, in conjunction with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County (EDC), announced that the Weaverville plant expansion will incorporate new customer care operations, one of several such operations throughout the U.S.

Arvato Digital Services is a replicator and distributor for intellectual property such as music, movies, software, and video games in CD and DVD formats. Its extensive client list includes leading firms in entertainment, music, and software industries. The organization has grown to dominate market share in its industry through its expertise and innovation of services. In recent years, Arvato and the former Sonopress merged to combine end-to end customer service operations, further diversifying its business.

A division of Arvato AG, a global media and communication firm headquartered in Gutersloh, Germany, Arvato Digital Services serves 18 countries on five continents. The Weaverville plant, currently specializing in media replication and fulfillment, was established in 1984, and is among seven Arvato locations in the U.S. Arvato management’s decision to expand its growing call center operations will strengthen the future of Arvato in Western North Carolina.

 

More as I get it.

 

11 Comments

Sarah December 8, 2015 - 9:41 pm

All the stories point out the 120 Permanent employees that work there and get packages. There are that many Temporary Employees if not more that will need to look for a job.

Barry Summers December 8, 2015 - 1:51 pm

“Urgent” call center job listing posted in India 9 days ago for… well I’ll be dogged. Arvato.

bit.ly/1lMyAN2 (drag & drop)

Barry Summers December 8, 2015 - 2:02 pm

Whoops! And here’s another one, just posted today. Whatta coinky-dink.

bit.ly/1OO8EMB

Hey, starting salary is 100,000 rupees, or $1500. I guess rent in Delhi is cheaper than Weaverville.

Barry Summers December 8, 2015 - 2:06 pm

Duh. Sorry. 1,000,000 rupees, or $15,000. That’s gotta be a solid, middle-class job… for someone in India.

Nate December 8, 2015 - 4:00 pm

You realize that this announcement is about the manufacturing facility, not the call center, right? These job listings, and the town/county incentive package, are completely unrelated. I know it must be fun searching job listings in India, and all, but you might want to give it a rest until they make a similar announcement about their local call center.

Barry Summers December 8, 2015 - 4:56 pm

Pretty sure this story originally said that it was not clear if layoffs were in manufacturing or call center or both.

But, OK.

North Asheville December 8, 2015 - 9:22 pm

From Citizen-Times
http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2015/12/08/arvato-closing-cddvd-operation-120-jobs-lost/76991114/
Arvato also employs about 240 people in a call center, which will remain open. The center, which takes incoming calls for the banking industry and opened about five years ago, will remain in the Arvato building.

Murphy December 8, 2015 - 9:49 am

Tim, a lot longer than 3 years…

they first started laying folks off in 2011 (about this same time of the year), and there have been several layoffs since.

The call center received “taxpayer funded incentives” to “create jobs” at the new call center a few years back – something that local elected folks crowed about at the time: those promised created job numbers never materialized – interesting to know how much they’ll have to pay back as a result.

Barry Summers December 8, 2015 - 2:21 pm

From the AC-T, Dec. 21st 2010:

“WEAVERVILLE – A maker of compact discs and DVDs will invest $1.8 million to add a call center offering 408 jobs – the biggest single addition of jobs in Buncombe County in at least 16 years.

State and Buncombe County officials enticed Arvato Digital Services to expand its Weaverville operation with promises of $400,000 in economic incentives.

The county and state each will pay half of that.”

murphy December 8, 2015 - 3:09 pm
Tim Peck December 8, 2015 - 8:20 am

A sudden closure three years in the making.

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