An Illinois-based truckload carrier that said it was one of the largest shipping contractors affiliated with the United States Postal Service has closed.

Midwest Transportation Inc. It filed a Notice of Worker Adjustment and Retraining with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry on Sept. 9 announcing that it was closing its terminal at 2470 Evans City Road in Jackson Township, Butler County, near Harmony.

The company did not say how many employees it had in Pennsylvania, but said it would close all its facilities and cease all operations except those necessary to terminate business. All 504 company employees will be laid off across six terminals located in the following locations:

• 805 E. Cumberland St., Greenup, Illinois
• 3370 Old Kings Road, Suite 6, Jacksonville, Florida
• 5671 Pigeon Roosting Road, Memphis, Tennessee
• 4710 E. Seventh Ave., Building B, Tampa, Florida
• 11385 N. Trimble Road, Robinson, Illinois
• 2470 Evans City Road, Jackson County, Butler County, near Harmony

The company said it was actively seeking capital inflows to continue its operations before the closure.

Employers are required to provide 60 days notice of closed workplace closures and closed workplace mass layoffs. There are exceptions to the rule. The company’s WARN notice was dated September 30.

The company said it could not give 60 days’ notice for the layoff because it said it would jeopardize efforts to obtain the financing needed to continue its business.

“While MTI was engaged in such efforts, a major creditor whose loan was in default unforeseen exercised its right on September 9, 2024, to request a Cessation of Business and the appointment of a receiver to assume ownership, custody and control of MTI’s business and assets. . protection of creditors. This unexpected and sudden request also prevented MTI from giving 60 days’ notice of Work Cessation and layoff notice to its employees,” the company said in its WARN notice.

The company’s more than 500 employees included truck drivers, driver support personnel, maintenance workers and support staff, mechanics, dispatchers, managers and district managers.