A portion of work conducted by Streater LLC is expected to transition to an Arkansas-based company in the middle of this year, resulting in about 70 layoffs at the Albert Lea factory.

Production of retail display products for certain customers will relocate to a sister company of Streater — L.A. Darling — in Paragould, Arkansas. Services to other customers are expected to continue at the Albert Lea facility, according to a press release.

Company officials have met and informed the Albert Lea facility’s approximately 165 associates, as well as leadership of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local No. 766.

Streater and L.A. Darling, along with Milwaukee-based DCI-Artform and related businesses, are part of Marmon Retail Science, which provides retail merchandising and marketing solutions to global brands and retailers.

Jason MacGregor, president of the Global Image Retail Group within Marmon Retail Science, explained to employees that the production shift will support the group’s market segmentation strategy, the release stated. An undetermined number of employees may have an opportunity to be recalled in the future.

All delivery commitments are planned to be fulfilled as the shift occurs.

Albert Lea Economic Development Agency Executive Director Ryan Nolander said one of three business segments Streater does work on is moving.

“I have reached out to Streater for clarification on the situation and to see if there is anything locally we can do for them to reconsider this decision,” he said.

Randy Kehr, Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce executive director, said it is disheartening when jobs are lost in the community.

He said he understands that the company’s decision seems to reflect a business decision, and he hoped the available jobs in the community and the presence of Riverland Community College will help employees who are being laid off as part of the change.

Streater has been a good community partner for years, Kehr said, and he hopes the company will maintain its remaining jobs in Albert Lea and grow its workforce in the future.