A spokesperson for Globe Metallurgical, Inc. said Friday that furnaces at the company’s Selma plant are shut down.

Globe’s website says the company is among the world’s largest producers of silicon metal, silicon-based specialty alloys and silicon fume. The product produced goes into automobiles, solar panels and computer electronics.

“The closure of the plant is largely caused by an increase of low priced imports that are targeting the U.S. market, and we are hopeful that the closure is temporary,” said Lee Payssa, Globe Metallurgical’s director of human resources.

Payssa said approximately 95 people are employed at Globe’s Selma location. Wayne Vardaman, president of the Selma and Dallas County Centre for Commerce and executive director of the Economic Development Authority, said a large portion of those employed at Globe are from outside Dallas County.

Vardaman said Globe’s workforce comes from nine counties: Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Dallas, Elmore, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry and Wilcox.

“I understand it is a layoff of unknown duration with a possible reopening one day,” Vardaman said.

In other words, they have shuttered the plant. They did this once before for approximately six months. When they put the land and equipment up for sale, then I will consider it closed.”

In 2006, Globe announced a closure but reopened a brief time afterwards. Vardaman said this is the third time that he remembers the plant announcing a closure or indefinite layoff, but he’s confident those looking for jobs will be able to find them.

“We hate it for the people and we will help any way we can to help direct them to where jobs are,” Vardaman said.

In 2013, Globe was fined $106,000 in proposed penalties by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a death at the Selma plant. Selma resident Marvin Bennett fell 16 feet off a fixed ladder while working in a feeder tunnel in October 2012.

Globe Metallurgical’s main office is in Beverly, Ohio. The company operates plants in Niagra Falls, New York and Alloy, West Virginia. Globe also has a quartzite mine in Billingsley, Alabama.

Payssa said Globe employs about 800 people nationwide.