Cree Lighting to lay off 172 workers in Sturtevant

Racine-based lighting company cites 'faltering company' exception in closing manufacturing facility

Mar. 13, 2026 at 8:35pm

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Cree Lighting, a lighting manufacturer based in Racine, Wisconsin, is laying off 172 workers and closing its Sturtevant manufacturing facility. The company cited the 'faltering company' exception in the WARN Statutes as the reason for not providing earlier notice of the layoffs.

Why it matters

The closure of the Sturtevant facility and layoffs of 172 workers will have a significant economic impact on the local community. The 'faltering company' exception in the WARN Statutes allows companies facing financial difficulties to avoid providing the typical 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs, raising questions about worker protections.

The details

Cree Lighting, a subsidiary of Cree Inc., is shutting down its Sturtevant manufacturing facility and laying off 172 employees. The company cited the 'faltering company' exception in the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which allows businesses facing financial hardship to bypass the usual 60-day advance notice requirement for mass layoffs.

  • Cree Lighting announced the layoffs and facility closure on March 13, 2026.

The players

Cree Lighting

A lighting manufacturer based in Racine, Wisconsin and a subsidiary of Cree Inc.

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The takeaway

The Cree Lighting layoffs highlight the challenges faced by manufacturing communities when companies invoke exceptions to worker protection laws during economic downturns, underscoring the need for stronger safeguards and transparency around mass layoffs.