Bio-diesel plant lays off staff while it "completes expansion"

Damon Pistulka, the restart specialist at TransMessis Columbia Plateau, LLC, on July 9 issued layoff notices to all employees and put them on standby status, saying, “Market conditions have forced (the company) to suspend operations while we complete the capacity expansion.” Pistulka’s notification to the Lincoln County Economic Development Council’s Margie Hall went on to say that the company anticipated calling the employees back to work by September 2, 2014.

At the plant itself, no one was answering phones and all doors were locked on July 10. Members of the Odessa Public Development Author...