Hoskinson Contracting and Hoskinson Concrete have laid off a combined 123 workers in Gillette this week, marking one of the largest construction-industry workforce reductions the region has seen in years. Company officials confirmed that Hoskinson Concrete will close permanently, while Hoskinson Contracting will significantly reduce operations.
State and local agencies said the number of layoffs is far beyond the typical seasonal slowdown seen in Wyoming’s construction sector. According to state workforce officials, the scale of the cuts stands out at a time when many construction firms are preparing for winter staffing adjustments and planning for spring project cycles.
Both companies, headquartered in Gillette, were founded by Charles Hoskinson — also known as the CEO and founder of Input Output Group and the creator of the Hoskinson Health & Wellness Clinic on the city’s south side. Hoskinson Contracting CEO Chris Davis said the construction and concrete businesses were originally launched to support the development of the clinic.
“The large-scale construction needs that led the clinic to create an in-house construction company have come to an end,” Davis said. “As a result, Hoskinson Contracting is scaling back its operations, and the Hoskinson Concrete division is being closed.”
Despite the sudden cuts, company representatives said all laid-off employees will remain on payroll through January, providing a short transition period during the holiday season. As of Friday morning, Hoskinson Contracting listed more than 260 employees on its website.
The news quickly reached state leadership. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon called the layoffs “one of the most significant layoffs Wyoming has ever seen.”
In a written statement, the governor expressed concern for the workers affected:
“This is tough news for more than [100] Wyoming workers who showed up, put their skills to work, and who now face job loss. I am deeply concerned for the hard-working individuals and families who now face uncertainty, especially during the holiday season.”
Wyoming Workforce Services has already begun contacting the impacted employees to connect them with job opportunities, training programs and regional employers seeking skilled labor.
Administrator of Workforce Programs Holly Simoni said her team is preparing outreach efforts to help workers move quickly into new roles.
“We have offered to do a virtual event and to do something at our [Gillette] location,” Simoni told WyoFile. “We’re trying to get specific contact information on these employees so that we can reach out to them and offer our services.”
Simoni encouraged displaced workers to contact the Gillette Workforce Center and register for openings through the HireWyo website.
Neither the City of Gillette nor Campbell County elected leaders were notified ahead of the layoffs. Campbell County Commission Chair Kelley McCreery said he was unaware of the job cuts but noted signs of strain within the company.
“I do know [the companies] expanded really, really fast,” he said.
Earlier this year, Hoskinson Contracting had won a contract to install a boiler at the Northeast Regional Airport. But the company later approached the county to withdraw.
“They came back to us later and said, ‘We have lost some supervisors and we’re spread too thin, and we’d like to get out of the deal.’ So we let them out,” McCreery said.
According to Davis, Hoskinson Contracting will not shut down entirely but will operate at a much smaller scale in the coming year.
Hoskinson Contracting will “work in a more limited capacity” and “concentrate on maintaining existing Hoskinson properties and overseeing future construction projects, which it will bid out to local Wyoming contractors.”
The layoffs come at a sensitive moment for the region’s construction workforce and economy, particularly during the winter slowdown. State officials expect ongoing support programs, retraining initiatives and local employer engagement to play a critical role in helping the 123 workers transition to new opportunities.
Originally reported by Dustin Bleizeffer in Wyofile.
