A military and commercial automotive manufacturer laid off nearly half its workforce following the cancellation of a contract to provide components for a new-generation military vehicle.
In a filing to the state under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, Walker-based Plasan North America Inc. cited “reduced business/work” and “cancellation of (a) government contract” for the July 2 permanent layoff of 64 of the 140 workers at its facility on Wilson Avenue.
The WARN Act filing to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity did not specify the government contract that was canceled, although Plasan North America in 2023 was awarded a five-year nearly $300 million subcontract contract from South Bend, Ind.-based AM General LLC to make major subcomponents of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) armored cab, as Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reported at the time…