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Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

Frankfort auto supplier laying off 160

GECOM Corp., an automotive supplier, plans to lay off 40 percent of the workforce at its Frankfort plant, just several months after it announced plans to shutter its Winchester plant.

The manufacturer of door latches, trunk locks, door handles and more said the downsizing, to begin in two months, will affect 160 workers.

Assembly lines in operation at Frankfort's facility will be moved based on corporate need to other locations, senior manager Deborah Ybarra said in a statement.

"Decisions on just what operations to keep at Frankfort and which operations to move will be made shortly," Ybarra said.

The move is the most recent in a series for GECOM as it attempts to weather the recession, which has crippled demand for automobiles.

In 2008, the company idled its North Vernon, Ind., plant. It also reduced operations at its Detroit plant earlier this year.

When GECOM announced the closure of the Winchester plant earlier this year, the company noted that its primary customer, Nissan, had seen sales plummet because of the recession. The Winchester plant employed 168 people.

"Though the reduction of a site work force is difficult, it is altogether necessary in order to survive," Ybarra said in describing the newest round of cuts. "Our hope is that the economy, and specifically the automotive industry, will soon bounce back with key strategies and product mixes that will enable us all to grow."