Ontario-based Multimatic buys Butler plant threatened with closure

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

A Butler industry, threatened with closure when its parent company declared bankruptcy this spring, has been rescued by new owners, according to industry publications, the Star in Auburn reported.

Markham, Ontario-based Multimatic Inc., has acquired the Butler plant of Noble International Ltd.

The Butler facility, at 201 R.E. Jones Road, produces roll-form and welded parts for the automotive industry.

A federal bankruptcy court approved the sale of the Butler facility. Multimatic paid a reported $1.66 million for the plant and its equipment, according to an article in Metal Producing & Processing magazine.

The acquisition included roll-forming lines, presses and robotic welders, according to the article. Multimatic has agreed to operate the plant for at least six months and employ the current work force, the article said.

In late April, Noble International gave a formal notice to its 153 employees in Butler that the factory might be closed unless it was sold by late June.

Multimatic is a privately held Canadian corporation that performs automotive stamping, welding and assembly for the global automotive industry. It operates divisions in North America and Europe, with partners in Asia, South America and Australia.

Noble International filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, citing deteriorating conditions in the automotive industry.

The Star is published by Business Weekly parent KPC Media Group.