Skagit Horticulture LLC will close its doors on April 7, laying off 115 employees in Mount Vernon and 54 in Mabton, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification issued earlier this month.
Operating under both Skagit Gardens and Northwest Horticulture brands, the operation is one of the largest employers in Skagit County, supplying plant varieties to growers and retailers throughout the nation.
“While we have managed through many challenges, current economic issues including market pressures, production cost, energy cost, freight cost and the business climate in the state of Washington have all contributed to this decision,” Skagit Horticulture President and CEO Scott Crownover wrote.
Crownover declined to comment further on the company shutting down, citing his current focus “on taking care of our employees.”
Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
