Pittsfield, Massachusetts-based Unistress Corp. and its subsidiary, Berkshire Concrete Corp., are laying off 233 workers, according to a Massachusetts Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification notice filed for the week ending June 27. CEO Perri Petricca said the layoffs stem from the delay of two major contracts following volatility in steel prices tied to the latest round of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to The Berkshire Eagle. Unistress, a precast manufacturer whose portfolio includes Boston’s Big Dig megaproject and Yankee Stadium in New York City, is cutting nearly half its workforce as it adjusts operations in response to material costs and uncertain project timelines. Petricca told The Berkshire Eagle the move is temporary, but with the firm usually netting about a dozen contracts a year, the two delays caused significant financial pressure. Construction material prices inched up 0.2% in May, with aluminum and steel among the top gainers, and are up 6% on an annualized basis, according to Associated Builders and Contractors. Those figures also don’t yet reflect the June tariff hike, which economists say will push prices even higher.
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/tariffs-layoffs-unistress-massachusetts-concrete-firm/752518/