The German company announced in June that it plans to permanently close the metal stamping plant it has operated for more than 20 years as part of a corporate “streamlining” program.
Benteler Automotive plans to close its metal stamping facility at 320 Hall Street SE by next March at the latest. GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A spokeswoman for Benteler Automotive Inc. said most of the 38 employees who face layoffs from the company’s metal stamping plant at 320 Hall Street SE in October will be relocated to other Benteler facilities in West Michigan.
“Less than 10 will leave the company, the rest will be re-assigned,” Benteler spokeswoman Maryam Komejan said in an interview with Mlive.com on Friday, Aug. 16. The German automotive parts supplier also operates plants in Wyoming, Holland and Galesburg, south of Kalamazoo.
Looking ahead, Komejan said up to 35 percent of the plant’s 220 employees will be reassigned by the time the plant is closed. The facility could be closed as early as the end of this year or as late as March, 2014, she said.
RELATED STORY: Benteler Automotive to begin layoffs in October
The layoff notices, which were included in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice sent to state and city officials this week, said 38 workers would be placed on “permanent layoff” from Benteler’s plant at 320 Hall Street SE.
The German company announced in June that it plans to permanently close the metal stamping plant it has operated for more than 20 years as part of a corporate “streamlining” program.
Similar WARN notices will be filed for all of the plant’s employees whether they are reassigned or leave the company, Komejan said. The notices are required 60 days before an employer closes a facility employing more than 50 workers.
Benteler Automotive employs about 1,200 workers at its four West Michigan facilities. Worldwide. It employs 22,000 with 20 development and sales offices and 74 plants in 29 countries.
Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.