Hayes Lemmerz To Close Its Bowling Green Facility.(Brief Article)

Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc. said that it plans to close its manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The plant currently employs approximately 235 people, including hourly and salaried staff, who manufacture fabricated steel wheels for automotive customers for use in passenger cars and light trucks, the company said.

The Bowling Green facility will operate through mid-summer 2002 to service existing contracts and assist in transitioning production, which will be fully absorbed by the company's fabricated steel wheel manufacturing facility located in Sedalia, Missouri, it added.

The company said its decision to close the plant was based on the weak economy, the tightened domestic auto industry and changing market requirements, which have resulted in reduced demand for fabricated steel wheels.

The rationalization of the company's manufacturing capacity of steel wheels will allow it to reduce overhead and manufacturing costs in North America, the company said. According to Curtis Clawson, Chairman and CEO, "It is necessary to consolidate operations which will result in reduced costs and greater efficiencies for the company's North American Wheels Business Unit."

"This move is consistent with our goal to improve value to our customers by eliminating excess cost and underutilized capacity," Clawson added.

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