Gaylord lays off 1,743 until fall following historic flooding in Nashville

Gaylord laying off 1,743 after historic flooding

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gaylord Entertainment Co. is laying off more than 1,700 employees as a result of flooding that inundated the Opryland Resort, the Grand Ole Opry House and other properties in May.

In a conference call with investors on Wednesday, CEO Colin Reed said the company informed 1,743 workers on Wednesday morning they would be released June 12 with two weeks of pay plus any unused vacation.

The company plans to reopen the 2,881-room hotel on Nov. 15, and will do most of its rehiring six to eight weeks before that.

Nashville Chamber of Commerce CEO Ralph Schultz said the hotel accounts for about 23 percent of the city’s hotel tax revenue and 10 percent of its total rooms.