Monroe auto supplier ceases operation

[DainBramaged]

Yesterday was the last regular shift for employees of the Automotive Component Holdings plant here. The plant, which had been in continuous operation since 1930, had 425 hourly and 55 salaried employees.

Long operated by Ford Motor Corp., the 1.5-million-square-foot factory made catalytic converters for the automaker and was spun off by Ford. Most hourly employees at the plant, who are represented by UAW Local 723, were given voluntary separation packages or offers to transfer to jobs at other Ford plants.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081127/BUSINESS02/811270295

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_Components_Holdings

Automotive Components Holdings

Chesterfield Plant--Chesterfield Township. Michigan (seating foam): This plant was closed in June 2006.


EL Jarudo Plant--Mexico (powertrain): ACH officially sold this plant to Cooper-Standard Automotive on April 2, 2007.


Indianapolis Plant--Indianapolis, Indiana (steering components): Ford has announced its intention to close this plant by the end of 2008.


Kansas City Plant--Kansas City, Missouri (IP/lamp final assembly & sequencing): This plant was closed in December 2006.


Milan Plant--Milan, Michigan (powertrain): ACH announced on December 21, 2006 that it had reached a tentative agreement to sell this plant to Flex-N-Gate Corporation. The sale has yet to be completed.


Monroe Plant--Monroe, Michigan (chassis): The plant's driveshaft business was sold to Neapco Drivelines, a division of China's Wanxiang Group on Jan. 24, 2008. The company plans to move the driveshaft business along with its 300 employees to a new facility in a suburb of Detroit. No other deals have been announced for the plant's remaining operations. Now closed.


Nashville Glass Plant--Nashville, Tennessee (glass): ACH announced on April 14, 2008 that it has completed the sale of this facility to Zeledyne Glass Products, a company specifically formed to take over all of the former glass operations of ACH and run them as an independent company.


Rawsonville Plant--Ypsilanti, Michigan (powertrain): This plant has been transferred back to Ford and now operates as a Ford facility.


Saline Plant--Saline, Michigan (interiors): ACH announced on November 15, 2007 that it had reached a tentative agreement to sell the plant to Johnson Controls pending the ability of Johnson Controls to reach a competitive labor agreement with the plant's employees. As of September 2008, Johnson Controls no longer has any plans to purchase this plant.


Sandusky Plant--Sandusky, Ohio (lighting/air induction/fuel vapor storage): ACH announced on June 12, 2007 that it had signed a tentative non-binding agreement for Meridian Automotive Systems to purchase this facility. However, the sale has yet to be completed. As of June 19th 2008, Meridian has terminated it's memorandum of understanding with Ford and ACH and will no longer be attempting to acquire this plant.


Sheldon Road Plant--Plymouth, Michigan (climate controls): ACH announced on December 4, 2006 that it had reached a tentative agreement to sell this plant to Paris-based Valeo, Inc. The sale has yet to be completed.


Sterling Plant--Sterling Heights, Michigan (chassis): This plant has been transferred back to Ford and now operates as a Ford facility.


Tulsa Glass Plant--Tulsa, Oklahoma (glass): ACH announced on April 14, 2008 that it has completed the sale of this facility to Zeledyne Glass Products, a company specifically formed to take over all of the former glass operations of ACH and run them as an independent company. (Therefore eliminating the UAW in the process)


Utica Plant--Shelby Twp. Michigan (interiors, exteriors): Ford has announced its intention to close this plant in 2008. Much of the work done at this plant is being consolidated in the Sterling Plant.


Ypsilanti Plant--Ypsilanti Michigan (chassis): Ford will close this plant by the end of 2008.

The one word that is common to almost all of these plants

Closed.

[Octafish]

1. Auto manufacturing jobs created the great middle class.

Those who think service sector jobs will sustain the middle class are deluded.

I don't know anyone working an hourly retail, fast-food, customer-service, etc. job who makes enough to sustain a family. Or buy a house. Or set money aside for college. Or build a retirement nest-egg.

The reason? Being non-union jobs, they don't pay squat and employers treat them like crap.

[pam4water]

2. Very Sad

This is very sad. No one wants to go up against the free trade bull shit and all the crap China is pulling. And if you call China on their crap you get label a bigot.

[wartrace]

4. China sells us CRAP.

Look what they sold us to feed our pets.

[Nightflurry]

3. That was my plant.

They had 1,200 workers there a little over a year ago. When my dad was working there (and he did for 34 years) they had over 4,000. This town was built around that place.

I got axed at the end of July, had just gotten my first year in. I signed to go to Neapco, which is on your list up there, but they fell apart before they took me. I don't have any "job bank" or 95% pay or any such stuff since I was a lower tier employee.

Oh, don't mind me. I basically just lurk around here, post every year or so. :P

[DainBramaged]

5. You are what DU doesn't get, a normal guy caught in the downturn

I am so sorry you are jobless. And I only wish I could promise your job will return. :cry: :cry: :cry: