MARYVILLE, Mo. — A bad economy is altering assembly lines at most businesses these days, including those staffed by Northwest Missouri’s sheltered workshops.

At NoCoMo Industries Inc. in Maryville, workers have been taken away from relatively dormant duties in favor of others that are faring better in the slackening economy.

Circumstances could grow even more dire for such job sites for the developmentally disabled, pending budget reduction/elimination proposals circulating through the Missouri Legislature. In January, Gov. Jay Nixon pledged to increase funding for developmentally disabled workers. Mr. Nixon is seeking a $3.6 million increase for the workshops and a $3 increase in a daily reimbursement rate that would bring total funding to nearly $25 million for fiscal year 2010.

NoCoMo Manager Richard Hallenberg said negative impacts felt throughout the economy at large have gradually rippled down to the workshop’s operations. The facility features about 50 disabled employees and a supervisory staff of 10.

“We’re experiencing the same kind of setbacks that any business is experiencing,” Mr. Hallenberg said. “A lot of our contract work is down. We have less revenue coming in for that reason. ... Our customers’ business is slow.”

Among its jobs, the shop recycles form ledger paper and cores from a local printing company. Other tasks include paper and cardboard baling, along with building pallets and shipping crates for local firms and others within a 50-mile radius. The shop also glues package inserts for Maryville’s Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing plant.

That line and the packaging and label of hardware items has fallen off.

The decline in business has not translated into layoffs, but Mr. Hallenberg said it’s a consequence that could hamper those activities at the end of the fiscal year. Layoffs could occur by spring or summer if sheltered workshop funding is slashed.

“Considering that some of the workers live in group homes, it would be costly to the state,” he said, referring to Missouri’s expense for care.

Companies that do business with NoCoMo are retrenching operations and attempting to keep their workers occupied, he added.

One thriving part of the workshop is found in the donations that are distributed to downtown Maryville thrift stores — which have witnessed good sales, Mr. Hallenberg said.

“That’s probably keeping us going, really,” he said.

Unified Services, Harrison County’s sheltered workshop in Bethany, is so far weathering the economic storm based on the diversification of its services, said manager Susan Legaard. She supports Mr. Nixon’s call for added funding.

A rebound to the overall economy would trickle down to assist the sheltered workshops, Ms. Legaard added.

“There are a lot of workshops that have waiting lists (of disabled workers) to get in,” she said.

Missouri Parents As Teachers, which also depends on state funds for its survival, is another region-wide organization facing possible budget cuts. Mr. Nixon has said he supports maintaining current funding levels for the program.

Debbie Kunz, coordinator of Parents As Teachers in St. Joseph, said she is aware of a House-to-Senate proposal that recommends a 10 percent funding reduction.

“We don’t know if that will mean reduction in services,” Ms. Kunz said. “When you do (cuts to) services, you’re not preparing.”

Ensuring that parents have access to resources to help prepare their children for kindergarten is the goal, she said. She is urging parents to lobby lawmakers for the preservation of Parents As Teachers money.

It’s estimated that 3,000 St. Joseph School District families participate in the local Parents As Teachers program, she added.

Ray Scherer can be reached at rscherer@npgco.com.