ANNA -- A southern Illinois plant that makes flatbed trailers soon will be closing, costing about 75 workers their jobs.

Transcraft Corp. says it is shutting down its factory in Anna in Union County in the first half of next year as part of an effort to consolidate its operations.

Employee Thomas Rains says he and his co-workers knew business was off lately, but he says word of the shutdown came unexpectedly.

The company is offering workers severance and the possibility of a job at the Transcraft plant in Cadiz, Ky.