Applied Mechanical rehiring workers

Company brings back laid-off employees

Dayton Business Journal - by Tom Demeropolis DBJ Staff Reporter

Michael Ayers said laying off employees for the first time in his company’s history was the hardest thing he has ever had to do. Ayers, president of Dayton-based Applied Mechanical Systems Inc., saw the backlog of projects drop after the economy hit the skids this past September. There were projects to finish, but nothing new was coming down the pike.

To handle the slowdown, Ayers had to lay off 78 employees between October and the start of the year, bringing total employment down to 165 from 243.

“Our employees are our greatest asset, and it hurts to lay them off,” Ayers said.

But, with a number of new contracts on the books for the year, Ayers is looking to return his company’s employment to previous levels.