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AutoLign Manufacturing Group closed its doors April 10, leaving 90 area residents without jobs. Employees collected final paychecks, unemployment information and details about their 401(k) plans at the plant Friday. Pictured are Cassandra Hill (left), Kim Duval, Tammy Gibson, Chuck McDonald and Gordon Santure
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About 90 Milan-area residents lost their jobs April 10 when they were told at an early-morning meeting their employer's largest account was sending business to Taiwan.
AutoLign Manufacturing Group, formed in 1998 from the joint acquisition of Colonel's, manufactured aftermarket plastic bumpers on South Platt Road in Milan. Employees, who gathered at the facility Friday to collect their last paychecks, said general manager Brian Williamson announced the plant closing and offered no severance pay, though they reported he said medical benefits were being extended through May 1.
"I got my prescriptions filled right away," said Gordon Santure, who said most employees there made $12 to $16 an hour and would be hard-pressed to find similar work in the area's depressed job market.
"All in all, this was a good place to work. It was a family. We watched each other's kids grow up," said Tammy Gibson, who had been at AutoLign for more than a decade. "Now, they are taking the stuff to China. This stinks. They haven't given us squat."
One of the company's largest accounts, according to sales staff on site Friday, was Keystone Automotive Industries. Gary Maier, a public relations consultant for Keystone, confirmed that the business had been taken away from AutoLign but said the bulk "was being moved to other U.S. manufacturers."
Maier, said AutoLign had struggled to maintain a competitive position.
"I know there had been a fire there and Keystone tried to work with them," he said. "But in the end, Keystone needed to be competitive to provide the best business, too."
Keystone does work with offshore suppliers, including an aftermarket bumper manufacturer in Taiwan. But Maier said that while this factory is a big supplier, Keystone would not be using it to replace the business from AutoLign.
Malinda Luzier worked in sales for AutoLign for four years and said that while Keystone had wanted lower prices, the Milan plant had kept up with orders, even during the December fire, which forced some of the production to be outsourced. She was on site Friday to hand out checks and try to answer questions.
Outside the Milan factory, employees exchanged phone numbers, encouraged one another and looked over information included with their pay packet, including a form from the U.S. Department of Labor about how to claim additional Trade Adjustment Assistance, which is provided to workers in companies affected by shifts in production to certain foreign countries.
When informed about the claim made by the Keystone public relations representative that the production was staying onshore, one shocked employee said, "I hope they don't arrest me for falsely filing this kind of unemployment."
Susan Marks lives in Azalea and has worked at the plant for over eight years.
"I was very disappointed when Brian (Williamson) made the announcement and disappointed there's nobody here today to answer our questions," she said. "I had been promised a letter of recommendation and there's nothing here."
Phone calls to the AutoLign management team were not returned to The News-Leader by Friday and no officials from the company were available for comment at the plant in the afternoon.
Employees Cassandra Hill and Chuck McDonald are engaged to be married and both lost their job last week.
"There were lots of couples who worked here. A lot of families have been affected. It's really sad," McDonald said.
Nina Pemberton, executive director for Aid In Milan said five families affected by the lay-offs already have been in for emergency food supplies.
"We are here to help with food and resources," she said. Families may call 439-8420 or stop by."
The center, 54 W. Main St. in Milan, is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Staff Writer Sue G. Collins can be reached at 1-734-429-7380 or scollins@heritage.com.
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