Jul. 2--Briggs & Stratton Corp said Wednesday it is closing its plants in Jefferson and Watertown, resulting in the loss of at least 430 jobs and worsening Jefferson County's 9.1% unemployment rate.

Briggs, the world's largest manufacturer of small gasoline-powered engines, said the job reductions will occur by early 2010 and are partly the result of the recession and a need to consolidate production.

A total of 530 hourly wage and salaried jobs will be eliminated in Jefferson and Watertown. Between 90 and 100 of those employees, however, will be offered work at other Briggs locations, including Wauwatosa.

The Briggs plant in Jefferson makes portable generators and pressure washers. The Watertown plant makes home standby generators, which are units permanently attached to a house.

Portable-generator production will be moved from Jefferson to a Briggs engine plant in Auburn, Ala., and the production of home-standby units will be moved from Watertown to Wauwatosa, along with product research and development work.

Pressure-washer production will be moved to a Briggs plant in McDonough, Ga., which also makes lawn-and-garden products.

It makes sense to consolidate plants, especially since the Alabama and Georgia factories have unused capacity, Briggs executives said.

"The market volatility for our weather-dependent products, along with the current economy, constantly challenges us to find new ways to remain competitive," said Harold Redman, president of Briggs Home Power Products Group.

"We continuously review our manufacturing footprint in order to achieve the greatest efficiency," he added.

The 250,000-square-foot Jefferson plant will be sold, company spokeswoman Laura Timm said. Briggs leases its Watertown plant, a smaller facility that employs about 90 people.

The company hopes to wind down production at both plants by early 2010.

Employees were told about the closures Wednesday.

"We didn't make this decision lightly. We are doing absolutely everything we can to assist our employees during this difficult time," Timm said.

Assistance offered

Briggs is offering outplacement assistance for hourly and salaried employees.

"We understand the impact on them and their families," she added.

Briggs is one of Jefferson County's largest employers, along with the Trek bicycle company, in Watertown, and a Tyson Foods plant.

Local officials said the plant closing announcements caught them by surprise.