Nearly 60 workers at Globe Metallurgical on Old Montgomery Highway will find themselves without work in less than two months.

Officials with Globe have notified the state and the city they intend to cease operation for at least six months here by March 22.

A call to the local office was referred to Jeff Bradley, chief executive officer, at Globe Specialty Metals in New York. Bradley was not in the office and did not return a call asking for more information.

Globe Specialty Metals Inc., along with subsidiary companies, is among the world’s largest producers of silicon metal and silicon-based specialty alloys, important ingredients on a variety of industrial and consumer products. The company’s customers include major silicon chemical, aluminum and steel manufacturers; auto companies and their suppliers; ductile iron foundries; manufacturers of photovoltaic solar cells and computer chips; and concrete producers.

Wayne Vardaman, director of the Selma & Dallas County Economic Development Administration, said the state had received notice of the proposed closure. The state’s rapid response team is working on the project.

The document filed with the state and City of Selma says the company expects to be closed for at least six months because of a “market decline” and competition.

The Web site for the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce says Globe Metallurgical bought the Alamet silicon metal plant in Selma in 1984.

The company earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1988, in recognition of the quality of its manufacturing processes and its products.