National Pen announced to their Shelbyville team on Friday, Jan. 13, that they were moving operations to Mexico.

CEO Peter Kelly wrote to the Times-Gazette, “This planned transition is in no way a reflection on the excellent work of our fulfilment teams in Shelbyville, but regrettably, National Pen anticipates that 67 fulfilment roles will be impacted as a result of this operational restructure.”

Kelly explained National Pen has been “digitally transforming” their business.

“Like many other businesses in the US, we have been working hard to navigate ongoing economic challenges arising from high inflation, increasing material and supply chain costs and a range of other external pressures. To remain competitive and deliver the best possible customer value, National Pen must continually re-evaluate how best to manage costs while enhancing customer experience,” he said.

It is for this reason they plan to cease a portion of fulfilment operations at the Shelbyville facility and transition these operations to their existing facility in Mexico.

Remaining jobs

A portion of fulfilment roles will remain in Shelbyville. Roles in the Contact Center, Research & Development department, Logistics department, Molding, and supporting functions will also not be impacted by the planned transition.

“National Pen remains committed to Tennessee as a crucial site of operational importance, our Global Center of R&D Excellence and the base of essential Contact Center operations,” Kelly said.

Wayne Pilkington has been working at National Pen for about nine years.  He said he ran a full machine that put clear coat on to put the images on the product. 

He said when they heard about National Pen’s announcement, Pilkington said they were all shocked. He said there’s an attitude, that “All just don’t care right now. Everybody’s in that mood. They really just don’t care about a job.”

For now, he said he’s looking at getting his CDL but remains unsure of what to do next.