KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Hydro Extrusion North America in Kalamazoo County is closing its’ doors by the end of 2019.
The Norwegian Base aluminum fabricator announced on Friday that it would be closing this plant along with another in Belton South Carolina. The Kalamazoo County facility is located along North Riverview Drive, just north of East G Avenue.
In a statement, their north american business unit president Charlie Straface said:
“After a careful and extensive analysis of market capacity requirements and equipment utilization within Hydro’s North American extrusion business, we have decided to close our Belton, SC and Kalamazoo, MI facilities. The last day of operation for these sites is slated for January 1, 2020, with limited operations expected to continue into the first quarter of 2020.
“To minimize potential impact to customers, the process of re-tooling and transferring business to our other facilities in North America has already begun. Human resources teams are working with directly with affected employees to provide a comprehensive benefits package and facilitate a smooth transition. Affected employees are being encouraged to apply for available opportunities at Hydro’s other locations in North America.
“Restructuring efforts like this are never easy, but we believe that these closures will better align our extrusion capacity with the North American market and enable us to continue to meet the needs of our customers now and for years to come.
The company has a facility in Zeeland along with several in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and every region in the United States.
