Indiana factory loses 7% of workforce in two weeks due to high gas prices: 'Too far to drive'

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Indiana factory loses 7% of workforce due to high gas prices

J.B. Brown, CEO of BCI Solutions Inc., calls out President Biden for his campaign promise to end America's dependence on fossil fuels at no extra cost. 'Now we're seeing the cost,' Brown said.

An Indiana factory has lost 7% of its workforce in the past two weeks. J.B. Brown, CEO of BCI Solutions, Inc. said the latest factor contributing to the ongoing labor shortage is skyrocketing gas prices.

Brown first noticed a loss in employees at the metal foundry when gas prices passed $4 per gallon. His employees said it was too far to drive, and they couldn’t afford it. 

"The gas prices are a real serious issue for our employees," he said on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday. 

Brown has recently considered offering a stipend for employees to offset the increasing fuel costs. He said "nothing is off the table" in terms of incentivizing his staff members to stay with the company.

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"Right now in Northern Indiana, we have more available jobs than we have people available," he told host Steve Doocy.

"We’re trying to figure out what else can we do to ease the pain for them, but at the same time we’re going to have to help pass that on to our customers as well."

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Brown said his company is also now facing a material shortage due to Russia’s war on Ukraine as the metals and minerals that come from those countries are coming to a stop.

Brown laughed, however, at President Biden’s assertion that Vladimir Putin is the cause of the gas price hike. 

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He agreed that prices have increased since the invasion of Ukraine, but he noted that gas prices have been steadily increasing since Biden first took office. 

"On the campaign trail, what did he say? He was going to end fossil fuel – end America’s dependence on fossil fuel at no cost. Well, now we’re seeing the cost."

Americans are experiencing the highest gas prices since the 2008 financial crisis, with the national gas price average reaching more than $4 per gallon. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Brown said BCI Solutions is set to celebrate 83 years of operation on Thursday, but the exciting milestone is being overshadowed by the shortages and price hikes facing the country.

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"We thought COVID was hard to manufacture in? Wait till we have to go through what we're getting ready to go through in the next couple of months."