ST. LOUIS – As part of a US$14 million cost savings plan, cable and wireless manufacturer Belden today said it will close its plant in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, by the middle of 2007.
Other company facilities will assume the data networking cable production of the plant, said the press release. However, the company will continue its research, engineering, marketing and customer service activities in Pointe-Claire.
It’s not clear how many employees in Quebec will be affected. A call by Cartt.ca to Belden for comment was not returned Wednesday.
Also by mid-2007, Belden will also cease production activities in Wheeling, Illinois. This facility manufactures lead and hook-up wire as well as a wide variety of multi-conductor cable configurations. However, the company will continue to provide these products under the Manhattan-Dearborn brand, with production activities assumed by other locations.
In addition, Belden will reduce production overhead and selling and administrative costs worldwide through position eliminations.
The total number of workers affected by these actions is approximately 325.
"(T)his is a difficult, if necessary, step in the implementation of our regional manufacturing strategy," said John Stroup, president and CEO. "(T)he expected ongoing $14 million annual efficiencies associated with these actions are an integral part of maintaining and improving our global competitiveness, while positioning us to better weather demand volatility."
In June 2006, the Company announced plans to close manufacturing facilities in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Tompkinsville, Kentucky, and to transfer most of the production of those two facilities by mid-year 2007 to a new plant under construction in Nogales, Mexico.
