McMinnville Molding closes for good
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But owners Rickie and Ruby Northcutt were determined to overcome the disaster. Through hard work and perseverance, the Northcutts were able to get McMinnville Molding to its knees but the business was never able to get back on its feet.
I am now sorry to report that the Northcutts have decided to close McMinnville Molding permanently and Rickie has taken a job as plant manager of Cumberland Plastic Solutions in Woodbury.
‘For six months we tried to put it back together after the fire,’ said Rickie. ‘During the shutdown, all of our larger customers left us and that’s what got us. By the time we got back up and going and searched for a customer base, we couldn’t find it. There’s not an abundance of new work out there right now.’
Rickie said he managed to build his workforce back up to 10 but he couldn’t sustain that many employees with his light workload. When he had to cut back to just three employees, he came to the realization that it wasn’t going to work.
As for what will happen to his facility and 22 acres on Sparta Highway, Rickie says he currently has a tenant leasing a small portion of it. He says eventually he will put it up for sale but said he has no idea about a timetable for that.
More than anything else, Rickie said he wants to thank his wife for her support through the years.
‘We shut it down together,’ said Rickie.
The McMinnville Molding story is one I hate to tell. I don’t think I have to remind anyone about the jobs we’ve lost from companies closing or relocating. It rubs salt in the proverbial wound when a thriving company is forced to shut down because an outdoor fire gets out of control and blows back into the building.
That’s when we, as a county, know things aren’t going our way. However, I’m glad to see it appears Rickie has landed on his feet with a good job in Woodbury.