An additional 85 workers will be laid off at Reznor on top of the 16 salaried and technical employees who were laid off before the new year, the company said Thursday.

The new layoffs are effective today, said Tricia Bergeron, a spokeswoman for Thomas & Betts Corp., the Memphis, Tenn.-based company that owns the Mercer plant.

On Wednesday, Ms. Bergeron acknowledged that 16 employees' jobs had been cut as part of a corporate restructuring due to the overall national economic downturn, but said she was unaware of any additional layoffs.

Ms. Bergeron said she wasn't informed of the new layoffs until Thursday. She attributed these layoffs to not only a downturn in business because of the economy, but also to the seasonal nature of the business.

Reznor produces heaters and other air equipment for commercial and industrial uses. The products are marketed under the Reznor brand name. Orders for heating products usually fall off around the beginning of the year, Ms. Bergeron said.

"They do a certain amount of this every year,'' she said of the layoffs. "It's not unheard of at this plant around this time of the year to have some downsizing."

Ms. Bergeron said she didn't know how long the layoffs would last. The overwhelming majority of the layoffs affected full-time employees, she said, but part-time and temporary workers were also included.

In a letter dated Dec. 27, Reznor told employees, "It had become apparent that some major changes had to take place to insure the longevity of the Reznor Division within Thomas & Betts.''

The letter identified nine managers whose jobs were terminated as a result of a business downtown and added, "Other changes will happen over the next few months as we drive toward improved profitability.''

Founded in 1888, Reznor is among Mercer County's oldest manufacturers.