Wisconsin Rapids Trucking Company Notifies Employees They Should Expect Mass Layoffs

Thursday, June 4th, 2026 -- 9:00 AM

(Emily Davies, WSAW) A trucking company in Wisconsin Rapids is notifying employees that they should expect mass layoffs, though a date on when that would happen was unknown.

According to Emily Davies with WSAW, Sparhawk Trucking and Sparhawk Truck and Trailer, Inc. filed a Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification or WARN with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The notice is dated May 28. The companies are debtors in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed in March. The WARN letter states that while the companies continue to operate under the bank’s approval, employees should not count on the business remaining open.

The companies are seeking a suitable buyer who would allow for continued operation. However, it notes that if it cannot find a buyer or the new owner does not hire all of the companies’ employees, a mass layoff or closure may happen along with employee separations.

While there is no layoff date as the companies continue seeking a buyer, the letter notes the federal law that the companies have a duty to inform employees that changes may happen in the next 60 days.

It did not speculate as to how many employees or which positions would be laid off. It also stated that layoffs would likely be permanent. According to Sparhawk Trucking’s website, it has been in operation since 1979.

It does not state its workforce size, but notes it has nearly 200 trucks in its fleet. According to bankruptcy documents, the companies’ president, Mark Sparhawk, the founder’s son, experienced a series of medical issues, leaving him absent from the business for 10 months.

There were also mechanical issues with certain trucks that “resulted in repair costs, downtime, delays in delivery, and increased travel costs.” The bankruptcy documents also state the company was sued in January of 2024, related to a train derailment caused by one of the companies’ trucks, adding that the incident caused the release of hazardous chemicals.

The bankruptcy documents lay out a variety of avenues the companies pursued with the bank to address the cash issue, but they were not successful in bringing the company back to financial health.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.