Corvette Panel Maker MFG Will Undergo Temporary Shut-Down as Corvette Plant Retools

The upcoming temporary shutdown of the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green is affecting other companies in the supply chain, too.

Molded Fiber Glass Composite Systems Company in Ashtabula, Ohio will lay off 52 full-time workers starting Friday, July 28, the same day the Corvette plant closes temporarily for improvements, too.

Hidden in the story, though, is what could be intriguing news for Corvette enthusiasts.

During the layoff, MFG – which has made body panels for the Corvette since 1953 – will be installing two new molding presses to meet the demands of new business, starting in 2018. President and CEO Richard Morrison said he could not reveal the nature of that new business at this time, but it will require hiring 110 more employees to help the current 350 people on the payroll.

Could these new presses be needed to make body panels for the widely rumored mid-engine Corvette? We’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, we’re definitely impressed with the way MFG is taking care of the workers it has to lay off.

“Call backs to work at MFG will begin in late October with everyone expected back to work by January,” Morrison said. “To ease the heavy burden this causes for our valued teammates, MFG will provide a monthly retention bonus and health insurance.”

Morrison said the company is paying the health insurance and retention bonus “because we want to retain everyone we can. We want to do it; we are not required to do it.”

Morrison’s father, the late Robert S. Morrison, is a big reason why the Corvette has a fiberglass body today instead of metal. He founded MFG in 1948 to mass-produce the first commercial products using polyester resins and fiberglass reinforcements. His persistence at winning the Corvette contract to make body panels for the inaugural 1953 Corvette earned him a spot in the Corvette Hall of Fame.

From those early years, MFG has expanded greatly and currently produces car and truck components, material handling trays, wind turbine components, HVAC parts, architectural products and more.

Trivia note: On a per capita basis, Ashtabula County industry makes more plastics than any other place in the country, with products ranging from auto parts and household appliances to cooking utensils and computers.

Source:
starbeacon.com

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