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Silver Dollar City is in "hibernation mode," according to company officials.
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Silver Dollar City is in "hibernation mode," according to company officials.

Silver Dollar City furloughs hundreds

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Silver Dollar City Attractions is furloughing hundreds of employees at multiple properties in Branson as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact operations.

The furloughs impact 257 employees at Silver Dollar City's theme park and campgrounds, Showboat Branson Belle and White Water, according to an April 14 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing submitted to the Missouri Division of Workforce Development.

"We were unable to provide more notice of this action because these circumstances were not reasonably foreseeable until recently when the full impact of COVID-19 on our business became clear," the WARN notice reads. "We are providing as much notice as is practicable under the circumstances and given the rapid pace at which this situation has developed."

The furloughs are scheduled to start April 20. They're effective indefinitely, but Silver Dollar City is planning to hire the employees back after coronavirus restrictions are lifted and its operations can reopen, according to the filing.

Silver Dollar City spokeswoman Lisa Rau this morning provided a statement indicating salary reductions also are being put into place. She declined to disclose how many employees are impacted by the furloughs and salary cuts.

According to the statement, Silver Dollar City is going into "hibernation mode" until a reopening date can be scheduled. Minimal staff members are being kept on for maintenance, and they'll do so with up to a 50% salary reduction. Additionally, Silver Dollar City parent company Herschend Enterprises’ CEO, Andrew Wexler, and chairman, Chris Herschend, are not taking a salary until all of the company's properties reopen, according to the statement.

"Silver Dollar City will continue to monitor this developing situation, consult with our medical experts and follow public health official recommendations, so we can reopen as soon as possible and bring people back to work," the statement reads.

Rau declined to say whether other Herschend properties have been impacted.

Furloughed employees will continue to receive 100% of their premiums paid by Silver Dollar City for the next few months if they're enrolled in the company's health care plan, according to the statement.

Silver Dollar City, which last year set another attendance record with 2.22 million guests, has implemented multiple opening delays this year as the coronavirus spread. The theme park most recently was slated to reopen in May.

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