A large public tools manufacturer is closing its Escondido plant and laying off about 80 employees, some of whom will be rehired at other facilities.

Snap-on Inc., based in Wisconsin, is combining the Escondido operations with those of a Los Angeles-area facility, said company spokesman Richard Secor.

“We announced to employees there in November that we would be consolidating that facility into our City of Industry facility,” he said. “There won’t be any layoffs until at least the end of January and the plant won’t be closed until the end of March.”

Secor said the company is assisting affected employees in the transition by locating job placement kiosks at the site and contacting suppliers to see if they have openings.

Snap-on acquired the Escondido location in the purchase of ATI Tools, which makes aircraft maintenance tools.

“This is really about having two locations within a hundred miles of each other with similar functions,” Secor said. “It’s really about consolidating those facilities to be more efficient.”

Snap-on, which has about 12,700 worldwide employees, reported an increase in earnings during the third quarter to 94 cents per share, up from 70 cents per share a year earlier.

Snap-on’s stock price was trading around $40 a share as recently as Jan. 8, down from its June peak of $62 per share.

— Ned Randolph