Aerial work platform manufacturer Skyjack will close its Guelph plant for four weeks instead of three at Christmas because of a reduction in orders. Skyjack's third-quarter results released early this month saw a 21.3% decrease in demand.

Ken McDougall, president of Skyjack, says the outlook for 2009 did not warrant keeping the factory open for longer over the Christmas period. "We do not see a level of demand that would warrant another week's worth of inventory being manufactured this year. We came to a decision to extend this shut-down period in the Scissor plant."

In the past, the company has closed the factory for two weeks to allow for the Christmas holiday, inventory and annual maintenance. However, due to the lighter market demand, Skyjack extended that to three weeks.

"I think we are in store for an interesting 12 to 18 months," says McDougall. "I hope at some point in 2009 we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think the industry is strong and we are going through a correction cycle that has been heightened by the global economic conditions."