Wellsville mayor on Siemen's/Dresser-Rand: "The building is not on fire"

Wellsville Mayor Randy Shayler (center, head of the table) prepares for the village meeting

The earth underneath Wellsville and Allegany County shook recently when the announcement was made that Dresser-Rand, a Siemen's business, would close. That's not a completely accurate statement. Wellsville Regional News (WRN) has spoken with several sources who all say similar things...that the story changes weekly if not daily. It is pretty clear that the manufacturing operation will most probably end within 18-24 months. Randy Shayler is not only the Wellsville mayor, but he also serves with the Allegany Industrial Development Agency, which is working closely with the company. Shayler was very specific in an interview Monday night that he could only confirm things that both he and WRN had heard. First, that there is a potential that a white-collar work force of perhaps 100 may stay on after manufacturing ends. "The building is not on fire," Shayler said. He added that "the situation is not as bad as the headlines." Shayler indicated that he had heard the new owner of the government division, Curtiss- Wright, may continue a work force in Wellsville for some time. The dynamics appear to change often, leading to employee confusion. One source said, "don't believe all the headlines, all the time...this is a work in progress."