ELKINS — There is still no word whether the United Parcel Service’s plan to cut almost 20,000 jobs this year — and to close 73 leased and owned buildings by the end of June — will have any effect on the UPS center located off the Beverly Five-Lane in Randolph County.

UPS announced the layoffs Tuesday, saying the decision was prompted by “new or increased tariffs” and their effect on deliveries from Amazon, which is the largest customer of UPS.

The announcement, which was part of the first quarter earning report from UPS, said the shipping company plans to close 164 facilities by the end of 2025.

On Wednesday, The Inter-Mountain sought comment from UPS on what changes the layoffs and closings might bring to the Elkins facility.

The company’s U.S. media relations manager, Karen Tomaszewski Hill, responded to The Inter-Mountain with an email saying UPS doesn’t plan to share additional details until officials are confident that all impacted individuals have been informed.

“As announced on our Q1 earnings call, we are executing the largest network reconfiguration in UPS history,” Hill wrote in the email. “This strategic initiative will optimize the capacity of our network to align with expected volume levels and enhance productivity through additional automation. The reconfiguration will impact positions, and we are committed to supporting our employees throughout this process. 

“While our building footprint is changing, our record of reliable pickup and delivery is not. We remain committed to providing industry-leading service to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.”

UPS currently has about 490,000 employees, with approximately 330,000 being members of the Teamsters union. In 2024, UPS said it cut its workforce by 12,000 jobs.

“The actions we are taking to reconfigure our network and reduce cost across our business could not be timelier,” UPS CEO Carol Tomé said in a press statement.

“The macro environment may be uncertain, but with our actions, we will emerge as an even stronger, more nimble UPS.”

— Staff Writer Taylor McKinnie contributed to this article.