EMPLOYEES at an Eastern Ohio business were nothing short of blindsided recently.

The W.C. Cardinal Plant abruptly ceased operations late last week with no advanced warning. Some 72 employees of the business, located in the Harrison County Industrial Park near Cadiz, were left both dumbfounded and without jobs.

Being laid off from a workplace is an all too common of a scenario in the Ohio Valley these days. Most times, however, there are signs such an occurrence is coming down the pike.

Such was not the case with W.C. Cardinal. We find such action by the company’s hierarchy to be deplorable.

All that remains is for the laid-off workers to seek answers while harboring hope that eventually the plant will resume operations. We doubt that a resumption of work at the manufacturing company is in the offing.

We take offense to Cardinal employees being left in the dark about a looming shutdown of their workplace, while also being shunned from any explanation.

Cardinal is a subsidiary of Excel Storage, an East Stroudsburg, Pa. operation. It also has ceased productions.

W.C. Cardinal has a 20-year history of quality workmanship in Harrison County, making display and storage shelves.

The local business survived some tough times in 2008 as some 30 workers lost their jobs. The company endured, however, and appeared to be on solid ground.

That was until Friday.

We fail to understand how management can be so cold blooded, just cutting and running with no regard to its loyal and well-trained work force.

If shutting down a plant is an unavoidable eventuality, all the employees should be made aware of such well in advance.

We are not optimistic that W.C. Cardinal will ever return to life.

Should that be the case, 72 employees still deserve answers.