Camcar Aerospace’s Rockford plant to close

By Sean F. Driscoll

BusinessRockford.com

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ROCKFORD — Just 18 months after returning to town with plans for growth, Camcar Aerospace’s parent company will fold its Rockford plant by Dec. 31.

Acument Global Technologies resumed operations under the Camcar name in Rockford in March 2008, about two years after shutting down here and moving to South Carolina. When it returned, officials had plans for $70 million in production of high-performance nuts and bolts that hold airplanes together by 2010, but today they told their employees the doors were closing.

The 50 employees can apply for work at the company’s Belvidere operations center, spokesman Timothy Weir said, or the Saturn Fasteners plant in Burbank, Calif., that’s getting their work.

“Employees made a concerted effort to get the plant lean and efficient enough to offset a sharp decline in sales,” Weir said in a statement. “Ultimately, their efforts were not enough to offset the sustained drop in order volume we’ve experienced due to the aerospace industry downturn.”

Weir noted the downturn has been fueled by delays in Boeing aircraft programs and a decline in the business jet market.

The shutdown will be phased, with production continuing through the end of the year to finish orders already on the plant’s books, Weir said. As production winds down, Acument will transfer tooling and processing and production machinery to California.

The Belvidere facility has skilled positions open and is expanding production. Auto and industrial fastener production was moved there from an Acument facility in Wytheville, Va., which closed in June. The Belvidere plant is also getting sorting/packaging and shipping work from a facility in Rochester, Ind.

Before these changes, the Belvidere plant employed about 100 people. With the added production, employment grew to about 130 people this summer, Weir said. About 30 positions are open to fill the positions being transferred from Rochester; that hiring should be done by 2010.

Reach staff writer Sean F. Driscoll at 815-987-1346 or sdriscoll@rrstar.com.

PAST CAMCAR COVERAGE
July 23, 2008: Airline woes don’t stop Rock River Valley manufacturing from taking off
June 26, 2008: Acument will put its HQ at Camcar Aerospace
June 24, 2008: Acument shifts fastener work but jobs to stay
May 28, 2008: Acument announces new president-CEO
April 27, 2008: Acument still has openings for Camcar Aerospace
April 11, 2008: The sky’s the limit
April 2, 2008: Acument adds California bolt-maker to its portfolio
March 25, 2008: Camcar officially back in business
March 24, 2008: The Camcar name returns as fastener maker for planes

OTHER CLOSINGS
Oct. 8: West Corp. to close local center
Sept. 25: Comings and Goings: The doctor will see you on East State
Aug. 15: Called loan brings end nearer for DB Metal
Aug. 4: PGI Manufacturing to close, lay off 50
Aug. 2: ToteCart production continues under Byron company
July 28: CLARCOR to close air filtration division
July 27: Residents: Hooray for Chrysler's restart
July 26: Chrysler to welcome employees back to work
July 13: Android to reopen in Belvidere
July 8: Warner Electric to shut down South Beloit plant
June 30: Titan to shut down for 3 weeks