An auto parts manufacturer has set the first of several dates for laying off employees and closing one of its plants in Winona.

BCS Access Business Systems will start its first round of layoffs on July 26, the company told the state in a letter earlier this week. About 117 employees will lose their jobs.

The company filed what's called a WARN notice in March with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) about the layoffs and closure. BCS officials updated that notice this week as it notifies salaried staff about the upcoming layoffs, according to plant manager Aaron MacLennan.

The layoffs will affect workers only in the manufacturing plant, which is known as BCS Automotive Interface Solutions. Workers at BCS' nearby engineering facility are not expected to be affected by the downsizing.

The plant, which has operated in Winona since 2018, makes keyless entry parts for automobiles, the company said.

BCS' layoffs are sizable for Winona, a city of roughly 26,000 in southeastern Minnesota. The FedEx Freight operation laid off 30 workers in October there as well.