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1. ‘OU’? There’s a reason great institutions don’t go by their initials2. For local biz, cooperative status has been mostly a good thing3. Solar company owners trumpet local clean energy, pick candidate4. Experts deliver dire warnings about fracking impacts5. What's Happening (2-9-12)6. OU reviews land holdings for possible oil/gas drilling7. 'Armed and dangerous' bank robber no longer a local threat, OUPD says8. For better or worse, minimum wage goes up again9. Sheriff threatens to arrest complainant at son’s assault hearing10. Feds’ new rule about Burmese pythons relies on misinformation11. Group works toward total elimination of garbage12. Touring museum highlights African-American inventors13. Cuban Sol brings new exotic flavor to Athens area14. Attorneys for student who lost arm seek big damages from OU 15. Commissioners hear it from both sides about fracking16. Incumbent responds to overtime concerns17. ATV trails at Burr Oak park raise serious questions18. Guitar magazine spills positive ink on local shop19. County brings in record amount for jail ‘pay-to-stay’20. Too much of a good thing?
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Tuesday, January 5,2010
Dozens lose jobs as BioLife closes its doors in Athens
The Athens branch of BioLife Plasma Services closed down operations Tuesday, laying off 38 employees, a spokesperson confirmed.
Countless others receiving compensation for their donations from the center will also be affected by the closure. Plasma donors to the center had been earning up to $200 per month in cash.
An answering machine message at BioLife in Athens states, "œBioLife Plasma Services regrets that we have closed down our facility due to various business challenges. We would like to thank you for your commitment in the past and wish you all the best in the future."
An anonymous caller claiming to be one of the affected employees said that employees were notified of the closure Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Another former employee later told The Athens NEWS that the staff was given 30 days worth of severance pay, benefits and insurance.
A sign on the doors at BioLife states, "Notice: Center temporarily closed and will not be accepting donations today. This facility is closed to all non-employees until further notice. For further information, please phone the center directly at 740-592-6651."
BioLife spokesperson Laura Jacobs said that BioLife closed the Athens facility "as part of our ongoing strategy to optimize our collection center network."
She said that so far one other BioLife center, located in North Carolina, has been shut down.
As for the affected employees, Jacobs said, "BioLife is in the process of immediately providing transition services in support of these employees. The employees have been informed where to call for more information."
According to its Web site, BioLife Plasma Services is an industry leader in the collection of high-quality plasma that is processed into life-saving plasma-based therapies. BioLife has numerous donation centers in 22 states across the country.
Donors at BioLife are compensated for their donation at a rate of $20 for the first donation in a week, and $30 for the second donation in a week. This past summer, BioLife eliminated donor bonuses, which were given every fifth and seventh donation.
Numerous individuals who donated regularly to the operation reported that BioLife had been busy and full in recent months. BioLife had reportedly been popular among OU students and locals looking to earn some extra cash.
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Terry BThis is going to majorly hurt the local economy. The 37 jobs aside, the hundreds of people that relied on the extra $200 a month are going to be missing the extra money. And the stores, restaurants and gas stations where they spent that money will miss it even more.
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mike "had been busy and full in recent months."
A business that was seemingly doing well and was popular, something smells fishy here.
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Terry BThe Burger King uptown was always "busy and full" and it wasn;t making any money either.... (yes, I saw the books. Up until 1998, it had only turned a small profit twice since it had opened)
Biolife is a large company in a downturned economy. Even if they are "busy" taking plasma, that doesn;t mean the market for selling it is profitable enough to cover the cost while still making a profit.
From the news gpoing around, they closed more than just Athens, so it looks to be more of a corporate maneuver than an issue caused locally.
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unknownWhat happened to the BioLife employees is terrible. I think it has been overlooked that many other employees lost their jobs at BioLife before they acually shut the doors. Many were terminated wrongfully and some were not given a choice but to resign to be terminated. While Baxter claims to be doing what is best, they are certainly not looking at it from our perspective. The company is great when you are in, but when you are out, you are left for the wolves. I find it funny that the only person from the Athens center that has a job is a 24 year old that started out as a donor and is now head of the Quality Department... Now she is the last one standing.
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unknownIn response to the comparison to Burger King, BioLife is only a subdivision of Baxter (a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company) and has never been a profit based business. BioLife is decribed by Baxter as a "cost center" meaning that they are given a budget and a production expectation.The plasma collected at BioLife was manufactured into medicines by Baxter and sold to sick, needy recipients of the plasma derived medicine, all done by Baxter. BioLife did not "sell" plasma. It was an inside business from start to finish. We were given goals for liters of plasma collected, process times (the time it took for someone to donate..walk in to walk out), hours for labor, employee turnover, and other aspects of the business. The company would reward the employees with a bonus if the goals were met and exceeded. The company also planned on a complete remodel of the Athens facility that was approved by the President of Operations when he made a visit and was very impressed with the work. There were many things that happened over the last 9 months that did not seem normal for the center. It was only a matter of time. The true reason for the closing of the center may never be known, but now the true nature of Baxter Corp will be known.
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