Snorkel International laid off 100 workers at its Elwood, Kan., plant on Friday.

Snorkel’s parent company, England-based Tanfield Group, announced last month that it could lay off up to 125 workers by the end of September.

“This is it for now,” said Dan Jenkins, spokesman for Tanfield. “But never say never.”

Tanfield also laid off about 100 employees at its United Kingdom plant.

“The market is getting tougher,” Mr. Jenkins said. He said the layoffs are a reaction to decreased demand for the company’s aerial life trucks. Increased costs in the construction industry have slowed many projects, which had led contractors to order fewer Snorkel products.

Tanfield bought Snorkel in October 2007 and Mr. Jenkins said Tanfield grew employment numbers from 350 to more than 450 at the Elwood facility, until Friday.

“We had to reduce the size to weather the storm,” he said. “We grew, then we had to right size the company.”

Snorkel employees voted to form a union in June. To date, union officials have not negotiated a contract with Snorkel or Tanfield, according to Mr. Jenkins.

Mr. Tanfield said that of the 100 positions, all were plant production workers. He did not comment on the compensation packages for those Snorkel employees.

Business reporter Jennifer Hall can be reached at jennhall@npgco.com.