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HAZLETON – A lone worker unloaded his belongings from an open garage at DBi Services headquarters on North Conahan Drive Saturday morning.
The worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, found out at 4:37 pm on Friday afternoon that he was out of work.
The company closed with immediate effect.
“We had an idea …” he said in a silent voice. The company sent out a company-wide notification of a 4:30 pm meeting at noon: “Everyone has been trying to hold on to hope. At 4:37 am it was over. “
DBi Services is a global company founded by Neal and Paul DeAngelo in Hazleton in 1978, but sold in 2016. The company employed more than 1,500 people nationwide.
Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat said Saturday that DBi is one of the largest corporations in town and it will have a huge impact on payroll taxes, but even more so on workers who have suddenly lost their jobs.
“It’s a shame people are losing their jobs,” he said, noting that he had no additional information and only heard about it on Friday night.
Employees saw the writing on the wall but didn’t want to believe that a company with more than 40 years of history in the community and locations in 45 states would simply close, the worker said.
The company blamed COVID-19 for its demise, but workers knew the sellers weren’t getting paid and upper management was constantly changing, he said.
He placed an order for supplies on Friday – no one told him not to do this.
“There wasn’t even a whisper,” he said.
Worse, he knew people who had given up other jobs to work at DBi. A friend of his did and was released two weeks ago. They told him they didn’t have a job for him, but the company continued to post jobs online, he said.
“We were hoping that the infrastructure law would be passed,” he said. “We are an infrastructure company. Roads and bridges. That’s what we do. “
Now employees have to wait for an email telling them what to do next. A few staff will be staying to make the process easier, the man said. He was told that they should be able to collect unemployment benefits.
However, people who post on social media said they were banned from company email. A Facebook group “DBi – Employees Fighting Back†has also been founded.
Some employees wondered what to do with company vehicles and some abandoned them for fear of not having insurance, the post said.
The standard spokesman attempted to contact the company by phone and email request through the company website. A “live chat” on the website responded with general company information and said to contact a recruiter to learn more about the company’s financial information.
Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce President Mary Malone was not available for comment on the closure or whether the chamber has services that could help displaced workers.
Former DBi owner Neal DeAngelo could not be reached for comment.
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