Tech Valley Printing shuttered its city operation Friday, days after the commercial printer laid off 50 employees.
While union officials who represent workers at the Ninth Avenue printing plant hoped Tech Valley would remain open with a skeleton crew, their members learned Friday the 26-year-old company had shut down.
“They had shut their doors completely on Friday and everyone was gone,” said Kari Bienias, secretary-treasurer of the New York Typographical Union, an affiliate of Communications Workers of America Local 14156.
The mass layoff Tech Valley reported Thursday to the state Department of Labor affected three typographical union workers, leaving four members on payroll. Graphic Communications International Union Local 259 also had more than two dozen members at Tech Valley.
During the hottest years of the housing boom, Tech Valley rapidly grew by acquiring rival printers in Johnstown, Schenectady and Clifton Park. Between 2002 and 2006, its work force more than tripled to 130.
The printer was founded in 1982 in Cohoes, where it operated as General Business Supply. It relocated to Watervliet in 2002.
Tech Valley President John Smith did not immediately return a call Monday asking for comment. It is not clear how many workers were affected by Friday’s closure.
