Metaldyne layoffs total 67 at Steuben County plant

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

Metaldyne laid off 29 employees at its plant in Fremont, effective Monday, in addition to the 38 workers who have been furloughed since Jan. 5.

In a letter to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the company said the layoffs were caused by "sudden and unforeseeable circumstances - namely a sudden and unexpected reduction of product orders."

The factory had been working 24/7 until just a short time ago, the letter said, and the company intends to recall workers when its customer orders increase.

Workers at the plant are represented by United Auto Workers Local 1395.

Plymouth, Mich.-based Metaldyne Corp., a global supplier of powertrain and chassis systems and components, was purchased by Asahi Tec Corp., of Shizuoka, Japan, in 2006. It has continued to operate independently under its own name.

The company took several actions in 2008 to reduce costs, streamline the organization and balance capacity with declining vehicle production. In January, it announced additional changes at its Michigan headquarters, where it is consolidating operations and offices into a single building.

In addition, Metaldyne required all U.S. salaried employees to "purchase" a two_week vacation in the first quarter of 2009. It significantly reduced travel, eliminated merit increases for 2009 and suspended its 401(k) match and retirement contribution.