Artzan maintains a 50,000-sq.-ft. Zinc plant in Greene County, Tennessee.
They're the U.S. government’s exclusive supplier of penny blanks — the metal discs that become 1¢ coins. In 2023, they were awarded $1.5 million USD for their work. They employ over 300 humans to make pennies. Well, they used to, anyway. Trump recently nixed the penny.
Machinists — likely the most prevalent job at the plant — make around $23.00 USD/hour (putting them at slightly above the per-capita rate of ~45K/year). While they won't all be out of jobs, the loss of penny production will likely lead to a reduction in overall employment at the plant. The unemployment rate in Greene County is around 4.7% (as of December 2024; and has been rising since August of 2024), which is one point higher than the current national average. Over 7,700 folks (~10%) in Greene County receive SNAP benefits; and county residents still receive FEMA benefits from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Those who lose their jobs will likely face significant challenges in finding new employment, at least at the hourly rate they're used to.
Trump and the GOP plan to gut SNAP benefits, other social safety nets, and privatize FEMA, right when he also decided to take away jobs of folks who voted for him.
Elections have consequences.
Payback is a b***h.
Good luck, Greene County. The carnage you asked for has only started.