Lebanon auto-parts plant to close, 76 to lose jobs

Continued problems in the auto industry has claimed more jobs in the Tri-Cities region.

Thursday, 76 employees at the Alcoa forged wheel plant in Lebanon, Virginia, learned that company management had decided to close the facility over the next three months.

“Despite the best efforts of our workforce and management, the Lebanon plant was not economically viable in today’s business climate,” Victor Marquez, vice president and general manager, Alcoa Automotive Wheels, said in a news release sent to 11 Connects news.  “This difficult—but unavoidable—decision will leave us able to more efficiently meet our customer needs now and for the foreseeable future and in no way reflects on the effort of the people at our plant.”

According to the news release, “demand in the automotive market which the plant serves has fallen more than 50 percent in 2009. The market is expected to recover slowly, but not to the extent needed to support Alcoa’s current capacity.“

A company spokesman said the plant will shut-down gradually as contracts are completes through the end of January 2010.  Remaining production consolidated into Alcoa’s Cleveland, OH, manufacturing plant.