National Oilwell Varco falls victim to Houston oil slump

​​HOUSTON – National Oilwell Varco Inc. plans to close a Houston manufacturing facility and has already begun cutting jobs.

The facility at 16211 Air Center Blvd., near the Hardy Toll Rd. and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, will close on or between May 31 and June 15.

The closure will affect approximately 129 employees, which includes both union and non-union employees. Unionized employees are represented by Teamster Local 988. Non-union employees do not have bumping rights, meaning those workers with higher seniority cannot take the jobs of those with less seniority.

The job cuts began in late January and will be executed in phases.

National Oilwell Varco has dozens of locations throughout Houston. The Air Center location includes service and repair, sales and rentals, manufacturing, and inventory/warehouse space.

The company, which makes equipment used in and provides oil field services for oil and gas drilling and production, has closed other facilities and cut jobs over the past year as it weathers the oil slump.