T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY According to a posting on the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN), 62 workers at Lennox Industries in Marshalltown will be laid off effective Aug. 1. Lennox is the city’s third largest private employer.

A total of 69 local employees will be affected by layoffs recently announced on the state of Iowa’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) website.

Lennox Industries, one of Marshalltown’s oldest and largest employers, will lay off 62 workers effective Aug. 1, and UScellular has laid off seven effective July 1, according to the posting. After the Thursday edition of the T-R went to press, Lennox Corporate Communications Director Allison Cohen shared the following statement.

“Lennox has adjusted production operations to normalize inventory levels following the 2025 low-GWP regulatory transition. As part of this adjustment, we’ve announced a workforce reduction impacting 62 employees. Future staffing will align to business needs,” she said.

A representative from UAW Local 893, the union that serves Lennox employees, declined to comment. Before a previous round of layoffs in 2023, it was estimated that Lennox employed over 900 workers in Marshalltown, making it the city’s third largest private employer after JBS and Emerson.

Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO John Hall shared his thoughts on the Lennox situation in a statement to the T-R.

“While we are certainly frustrated to see the announcement of these layoffs, we knew that with trade and tariff disruptions, there would be repercussions. Our hope is that this puts Lennox in a stronger and more profitable position to continue operations in Marshalltown for years to come,” he said. “At the same time, our office and team, in conjunction with Iowa Workforce Development, stand ready to assist all those affected by these layoffs to find meaningful employment opportunities in our market.”

Kevin Schuster, who handles public relations for UScellular in Iowa, said the layoffs there were related to the pending $4.4 billion merger with T-Mobile.

“In May 2024, UScellular announced the decision to sell its wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T-Mobile following a review of strategic alternatives for the business. We anticipate this pending sale to close in mid-2025, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and as part of the transaction agreement, T-Mobile has offered employment opportunities to a majority of UScellular associates. For associates who were not offered opportunities at T-Mobile, we are working to ensure a smooth transition, including caring for them with severance packages and support in preparing for new employment,” he said. “For more than 40 years, UScellular has delivered on its mission of connecting people to what matters most, and this transaction will ensure customers continue to have access to a fast, high-quality network and outstanding service.”

UScellular currently operates locations at 901 S. Center St. Ste. 1 and at 2500 S. Center St. inside the Marshalltown Mall. Schuster added that while stores would remain open and continue to serve customers, UScellular can’t comment on any future T-Mobile decisions related to store locations.