Akebono Brake Updates U.S. Plant Closure Details

Source: Akebono Brake

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd., has announced two U.S. plant closures as part of its consolidation plan to establish a production structure for the optimization of North American operations.

The two plants to be shuttered next year are in Clarksville, Tenn. (scheduled for August 2020) and Columbia, S.C. (Sept. 2020).

The Clarksville facility, which employed 321 as of Sept. 2019, produces disc brake calipers, disc rotors, drum brakes and corner modules.

The Columbia plant, which employed 551 as of Sept. 2019, manufactures disc brake calipers and casting products.

The closures are part of the process of consolidating to a single-plant-manufacturing structure in the U.S. and improve productivity.

According to Akebono, “regarding fixed assets of the two plants, such as land and buildings, after necessary facilities and equipment have been transferred to other production locations, we will study any possibility to sell or dispose of the remaining business, facilities and equipment. We will make appropriate treatment of employees at the two plants.”

The company also said it will announce the financial implications when these have been determined.

Mike Geylin
Mike Geylin

Mike Geylin is the Editor-in-Chief at Hagman Media. Geylin has been in automotive communications for five decades working in all aspects of the industry from OEM to supplier to motorsports as well as reporting for both newspapers and magazines on the industry.