Crane Composites Inc. plans to close a plant in Grand Junction, Tenn., by the end of the first quarter in 2009 and consolidate the production into another Crane plant in Florence, Ky.
About 90 workers will lose their jobs.
Crane Composites of Joliet, Ill., is the fiberglass-reinforced plastics division of Stamford, Conn.-based Crane Co. The Grand Junction plant manufactured parts for shapes and panels for products like shower liners and recreational vehicle panels under the brand names of Sequentia Structoglas, WeatherGlaze and WeatherTuf.
Many of the workers had been at the plant for 25-30 years, and the facility itself was well run, Rob Jensik, executive director of the Hardman County Chamber of Commerce, said in a Dec. 17 telephone interview.
``You never saw help-wanted ads down there. People worked there forever and a day,'' Jensik said. ``It was a very effectively run plant, I thought. Very clean. Strong efforts were made to upgrade the ergonomics and environment.''
Crane officials did not return phone calls seeking comment.
``The closing of this facility is in no way a reflection of the quality of work or service they provided, but the decision was necessary to better align our manufacturing to customer demand and the present economic conditions … and these actions prepare us for the future when the markets recover,'' said Crane President Jeff Craney, in a news release.
The company will have four remaining plants once the Grand Junction facility is shut down. In addition to the Florence plant, Crane also has operations in Goshen, Ind.; Jonesboro, Ark.; and Alton, England.
Crane claims to be the world's largest manufacturer of FRP panels. The public company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.