Vibracoustic announces plans to close US factory

Ligonier, Indiana – Automotive supplier Vibracoustic AG is planning to close its manufacturing plant in Ligonier, a move that is expected to impact about 85 employees.

In a worker adjustment and retraining notification (WARN) filed 22 Nov, the German supplier of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) systems said it expected to finalise the closure by 30 April.

All of the positions at the facility will be terminated, but employees will be eligible for transfer to new roles at other Vibracoustic locations, according to the letter.

ERJ sister publication Rubber & Plastics News has contacted Vibracoustic asking for comment and additional information.

The Indiana facility is one of five manufacturing sites Darmstadt, Germany-based Vibracoustic operates in the US. 

The company has two sites in Carmi, Illinois, and one each in Sandusky, Michigan and Morganfield, Kentucky, according to the company website.

Engineering and administrative sites are located in both Farmington Hills and South Haven, Michigan.

The closure of the Ligonier plant will come almost exactly one year after the company disclosed plans to expand operations in China. 

In April 2020, Vibracoustic confirmed that it intended to build a third production facility in Chongqing, China, as part of an effort to meet growing automotive demand in the region.

That project is set to be completed in 2021.

Vibracoustic, a subsidiary of Freudenberg & Co. KG, operates 43 production sites across 19 countries, employing about 10,000 globally. Last year, it posted sales of more than €1.5 billion.