With little to no public warning, Accumed, maker of generic over-the-counter drugs and an employer of as many as 350 people, has ceased doing business at its Lawrenceville site.
Also gone is QPharma, a 17-person manufacturer of prescription nasal sprays and oral medications. All numbers for both companies have been disconnected and Accumed’s website no longer exists.
According to Lawrence Township Manager Richard Krawczun’s office, the property manager for Accumed’s facilities is JB Realty of Ewing, but the telephone number for the address on record belongs to a private residence. Krawczun’s office had no further details, but according to Kevin Smith, a spokesman for the state Department of Labor, companies are required to give notice to the municipality, the state DOL, and all employees if those companies plan to layoff 50 or more employees at one time.
The DOL publishes monthly records of such actions, called WARN notices, which are intended to provide employees ample warning that they will need to prepare for unemployment. There are no records of Accumed filing a WARN notice in 2008, 2009, or 2010. Smith also found no records, but acknowledged that companies can skirt the requirement by laying off fewer than 50 employees at a time.
It is not known whether Accumed laid off any employees.
Smith said the DOL has no enforcement powers over the requirement to file WARN notices and that any legal action would need to be taken by employees.
QPharm, an unrelated company at the same address, employed only 17 and would not need to file.
Accumed Inc., 2572 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence-ville.
QPharma LLC, 2572 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence-ville.
