The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced Bon-Ton Stores has contacted the state, warning it could potentially close 12 Wisconsin stores and its corporate office in Wisconsin.
If the closures go through, they would affect 2,200 employees.
Local stores that could be affected include the Boston Stores in the Shops of Grand Avenue, Bayshore Mall, Brookfield Square, Southridge Mall and Mayfair Mall, as well as the Boston Store in Regency Square in Racine.
In a statement to TODAY'S TMJ4, the company said it sent out the notices because it needed to inform the state of potential layoffs:
“We are required to provide notification under certain state and federal laws of potential job losses even as we work diligently to complete a sale of the Company as a going concern. Bon-Ton is in active discussions with an investor group to acquire the Company in a court-supervised sale process. We are encouraged by the interest in Bon-Ton and we hope that jobs will be preserved through a sale process. We remain committed to pursuing the best path forward for the Company and its stakeholders, including Bon-Ton associates.”
Our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal report that according to notices filed with Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and South Dakota, operations at stores would end on June 5, though that could change if the company is able to find a buyer.
The DWD is working to provide transition assistance to workers affected by the layoffs.
More information about services for laid-off workers can be found at the DWD’s website.
