Officials at Zippo Manufacturing Co. have called back 35 workers
just two months after laying off 121 employees.
The announcement, made Monday, said the recall was due to an
upturn of business in both domestic and international markets.
“In the past two months, we have seen an increase in new orders
due to positive results from sales and marketing initiatives,”
Zippo President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Booth said.
“Domestic orders for the holiday season have exceeded our forecast
and we have received several large reorders from overseas
markets.”
The lighter company laid off 121 workers effective Sept. 30
citing a decline in business due to the availability of counterfeit
lighters, the regulations imposed by the Transportation Security
Administration, a spike in gasoline and heating fuel prices and
anti-smoking sentiments here and abroad.
The workers returned to their jobs last week.
“Overall business through May of this year was fairly good and
only slightly behind last year’s volume during the same period,”
Booth said. “However, sales from June through September were off
significantly, in the U.S. and certain overseas markets.”
When the lay off was announced in September, officials said they
intended to call back employees if business increased and it was
warranted.
“We are pleased to be able to call back a portion of the
employees from our recent lay-off. As business develops in the New
Year, we hope to recall all of the furloughed employees,” Booth
said.
Zippo has employed around 800 people.
In the past few years, the company has struggled with the TSA
limiting lighters on aircraft. That restriction was lifted last
year when the TSA and U.S. Department of Transportation started
allowing air travelers to carry filled lighters in checked bags as
long as they were in a vapor-tight box.
More recently, Zippo has been embattled in investigations
regarding violations of Zippo’s trademark.
Zippo officials filed a complaint with the U.S. International
Trade Commission earlier this year against seven companies that the
company claims imported and sold counterfeit Zippos.
Those companies are: beWild.com of Bellmore, N.Y.; Kalan LP of
Landsdowne; Taizhou Rongshi Lighter Development Co. Ltd. of China;
Tung Fong International Promotion Co. Lt. of China; Vista Wholesale
of Greencastle, Ind.; Wenzhou Tailier Smoking Set Manufacturing Co.
Ltd. of China; and Wenzhou Star Smoking Set Co. Ltd. of China.
Zippo requested the commission issue a general exclusion order
as well as cease and desist orders against the companies.
Since the complaint was filed in June, Kalan and Zippo reached a
settlement.
Wenzhou Star is the only respondent remaining in the
investigation, according to documents filed with the International
Trade Commission.
The administrative law judge has found the five other companies
in default for not responding to Zippo’s complaint.
The past five entries in the trade commission’s docket have been
marked “confidential” and not available for the public to view;
therefore, the status of the case was not know as of late Monday
night.
Booth could not be reached for further comment.
