METROPOLIS, Ill. (KFVS) – Honeywell will reopen its Metropolis Works plant.

The company plans to restart production in 2023 with preparations starting in 2021. They plan to hire 160 full-time employees, as well as contractors, by the end of 2022.

Honeywell released the statement below on Tuesday, February 9:

“As the only domestic uranium conversion facility, Honeywell’s Metropolis Works facility has been an important national strategic asset, well-positioned to satisfy UF6 demand both in the U.S. and abroad. Honeywell is planning to restart production at Metropolis Works in early 2023, with preparations beginning this year. Honeywell will hire 160 full-time employees as well as contractors by the end of next year. We’re proud to bring these jobs back to the Metropolis community to meet the needs of our customers.”

Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) said this will help boost the economy and create much-needed job opportunities in southern Illinois.

“I know that when the facility originally shut down, we lost dozens of well-paying jobs and the community was hit hard,” said Sen. Fowler. “Now, after experiencing yet another major hit to our economy and workforce due to the COVID-19 crisis, it’s extremely encouraging that the facility is reopening and bringing much-need job opportunities back to the area.”

In January 2017, Honeywell laid off some of its employees in Metropolis.

It said the layoffs were “due to the significant challenges of the nuclear industry globally and the oversupply of uranium hexafluoride (UF6)…”

By November of that year, the company idled production at the plant.

At the time, the company expected to return to full-time production in 2020.