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ORANGE — INVISTA’s announcement that it is shutting down production at its Orange facility was unexpected news to many.

Orange County Judge John Gothia said he was informed of the news Thursday.

“Anytime we have a shut down or loss of jobs in the community, it’s never a good day,” Gothia said.

Gothia said the county has a number of programs to entice businesses to the area and stay competitive, but there’s not a lot to offer to keep an existing business.

Looking toward the positive, Gothia noted there are a lot of growth and job opportunities on the horizon in Orange County coming in the next year, in addition to Lamar State College Orange offering a number of training programs to aid job seekers.

INVISTA operates its facility at 3055 FM 1006 in Orange.

Francis Murphy, INVISTA president and CEO, said they appreciate the diligent and innovative work of employees at the Orange site over the years.

“Unfortunately, lower than anticipated growth and an increase in global supply led to this difficult decision,” a company statement read.

The site will begin the safe shutdown of the adiponitrile production unit right away and expects to cease production of hexamethylene diamine in mid-2024, according to information from INVISTA.

Approximately 240 of the site’s 300 roles will be eliminated by the end of 2024. All impacted employees will be eligible for severance benefits.

Throughout this transition, the company is committed to treating every employee with dignity and respect, leaders said.

INVISTA’s top priority now and always is the safety of employees, contractors and the surrounding community.

“Ultimately, this decision was made to position our business to more competitively serve the long-term needs of our customers,” Murphy said.