Lowe’s lays off 205 at Florida distribution center

Lowe’s has laid off 205 workers at an Osceola County, Fla., distribution center, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel.

The job cuts account for about 20 percent of the total work force at the distribution center, which saw growth during the housing boom in Florida and increased demand for building materials because of hurricanes in the region. A spokesperson for Lowe’s told the newspaper the company sought other solutions outside a reduction in force and noted that the distribution center now employs about 700 people.

The distribution center supplies 96 retail stores in Florida and southern Georgia. At the company’s last earnings call, Lowe’s noted difficult year-over-year comparisons with hurricane-affected regions of the Gulf Coast and some Florida markets. Gulf Coast areas most impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita reported negative 23 percent comparable-store sales.