It is reported that fire truck manufacturer E One Inc has laid off about 40 employees at its three plants in Ocala.

Ms Amanda Gummer marketing and communications manager for E One said that "Municipal markets are down around the country and it was in response to that. It's really a small percentage of the total workforce."

Ms Gummer said that there is plenty of work for the remaining workers with a seven month back log of orders to fill.

In recent years, E One and the entire fire truck segment has seen a slip in sales of new fire apparatus. E One was particularly hit hard, and since 2007 has laid off between 200 and 300 workers.

In 2007, E One indicated it was considering relocating the business, then a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation. In 2008, the company was sold to current owner American Industrial Partners, based in New York

(Sourced from www.ocala.com)