WWL Vehicle Services Americas is permanently closing a Houston logistics operation and laying off dozens of employees, according to a filing with the Texas Workforce Commission.
WWL Vehicle Services Americas is a subsidiary of global shipping and logistics giant Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The Norwegian company specializes in receiving new cars shipped from overseas and preparing them for distribution throughout the U.S.
The layoffs will begin March 14 at the facility at 131 East Loop North and be completed by March 31, company officials said. Volkswagen Group of America was the former tenant at the location.
“We expect the layoffs and closing of the facility to be permanent in nature,” Julian N. Krol, legal counsel for Wallenius Wilhelmsen group of companies, said in the state filing. “The closing of the facility will involve cessation of all operations and termination of all employees at the site unless the employees seek to relocate to our new worksite facility located in Freeport, Texas.”
In 2022, Volkswagen announced that Port Freeport would be its new hub for imports and delivery of vehicles to auto dealers across the United States. Freeport is about 60 miles southeast of Houston along the Texas Gulf Coast.
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