Washington, DC - On the heels of Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s announcement that it will close its manufacturing plant in Carmel, NY and move the facility to India, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Representative John Hall today urged the company to reconsider and not abandon the hundreds of local workers it employs. A community mainstay in Putnam County, the plant currently employs 570 local residents who stand to lose their jobs as a result of Watson’s plans to move their plant to India.

 

Today, in a personal letter to Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CEO Paul Bisaro, Schumer and Hall urged the company to reconsider its plans to relocate, citing the economic support the plant has provided to Putnam County over the years.

 

“With an increasingly dicey global market, we understand that Watson Pharmaceuticals needs to remain competitive,” said Senator Schumer. “But the point is that New York State has all of the resources needed to do first-rate, global business—from our top-notch workforce to our position on the forefront of technological innovation. We are 100% committed to assisting Watson with anything they may need to allow their company to flourish and ensure that our workers and local economy are not abandoned.”

 

“Watson’s Carmel and Brewster operations are vital to the area,” said Congressman Hall.  “In this uncertain economy, Watson’s departure would deal a considerable blow to the lower Hudson Valley.  Senator Schumer and I are going to work to see whatever we can do to keep these jobs at home.”

 

Watson has operations in both Carmel and Brewster, with 570 people employed in well-paid day jobs in pharmaceutical manufacturing, packaging, quality assurance, and critical support services. The facilities are deeply woven into the fabric of the community, as they strengthen the entire region by providing high-quality employment, contributing to the local tax base, and helping the area to prosper. 

 

However, Watson announced yesterday that it would be closing its local operations and moving the plants to India, Florida and California, in an attempt to remain competitive in the face of global conditions.

In a letter today to Watson CEO, Schumer and Hall committed themselves, as well as agencies throughout the state, to making New York as attractive a place to do business as anywhere in the world. “Whether the issue is workforce development and retention, the high cost of energy, or business taxes and incentives, we stand ready to be of assistance and to encourage the support of other government entities,” they wrote.