This Michigan factory was one of the five remaining establishments of the 17 that Ford reclaimed as part of a 2005 bailout of its former auto parts subsidiary Visteon Corp. The automaker intends to close a steering parts plant in Indianapolis within 12 months. It also has three other former Visteon factories up for sale.
According to DiPietro, the price of the Michigan unit “is not material and will not be disclosed.” Mark Blair, president of Automotive Components Holdings, said that the Inergy purchasing deal is another vital step in the strategic plan for Automotive Component Holdings, which is the unit that Ford created for the former Visteon plants. According to Ford, the Michigan plant will be phased out over three years as workers and production move to the new facility. Approximately 200 of the 430 hourly workers in the plant belong to the UAW. They are also eligible for jobs at Ford factories, DiPietro disclosed.[via - 4wheelsnews]
