Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is planning layoffs at its Gadsden plant in the second quarter of this year.

That’s according to an announcement from the company today.

Barbara Hatala, a communications manager for the company, said the layoffs will come as the plant plans to reduce tire production at the Gadsden factory in the second quarter.

“The company continually addresses schedules to maximize capacity at all plants, increase operational efficiencies, and best serve our customers with the tires they need, when and where they need them,” she said. "This move is part of that process. We don’t know how many or which positions will be impacted. We know layoffs will take place in the second quarter. We will keep associates informed and share accurate information as soon as we can.”

A representative of the United Steelworkers Local 12, which represents employees at the Gadsden plant, said there would be no comment while the union gathers information.

Goodyear has operated a tire plant in Gadsden since 1929. The company would not comment on how many people are currently employed there. In 2015, the company said about 1,500 people were employed at the plant. That was the same year the company began a $30.1 million expansion of the factory.