Rexnord plant closing to cost local jobs

A Rexnord FlatTop Conveying Solutions employee told Ozaukee Press this week that workers were recently informed that the company’s Grafton factory is slated to be closed by the end of this year. 

In a Jan. 26 email obtained by Ozaukee Press, Senior Human Resources Generalist Shellie McKinney wrote the company has begun conducting exit interviews with approximately 200 employees at the plant.

“By mid-week, the HR team should begin having individual meetings with all associates affected by the exiting of manufacturing in Grafton. HRSS (Human Resources Self Service) is assisting with the exit packages,” the email stated. 

Rexnord officials didn’t return multiple phone calls this week, but Grafton officials have said they have heard “rumblings” about the closure of the plant at 1272 Dakota Dr.

“The village has not received any formal notification,” Village Administrator Jesse Thyes said.

“We have heard all of the rumblings about closure or layoffs and reached out to our contacts at Rexnord. To date, we have not heard back.”

Ozaukee Economic Development Executive Director Kathleen Cady Schilling said she has not received a formal announcement from Rexnord but also heard the plant is expected to close.

“We have heard the rumors and have checked with both the company and Workforce Development. The company did not respond to us,” she said.

“Workforce Development told us that the company has not filed an official plant closing at this time, but that they have heard the same rumors that we have.”

The employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are still employed by Rexnord, said workers first caught wind of the plant closing when it was announced in November that the facility’s computer-numerical-control team of about 20 employees will be eliminated and production moved to a new facility in Monterrey, Mexico.

The employee said the Grafton workers are required to train their replacements with interpreters.

“They are still there now, learning how to do our jobs,” the employee said.

The employee said that on Jan. 17 company officials and security guards arrived at the plant at the end of first shift to announce the entire plant will close and move its operations to Mexico by the end of the year. 

“Morale and emotions are low,” the employee said. “The guys who would go the extra mile aren’t doing that anymore. Nobody’s as motivated as they used to be.”

The employee said the first round of layoffs will begin in May and continue at monthly intervals until the end of the year. 

The employee also said the company has offered to help the affected employees find opportunities at other Rexnord facilities, but it appears no one has learned about their future.

“People who I have talked to that inquired about new opportunities haven’t gotten anywhere with that,” the employee said.

The factory produces conveyor systems for Anheuser-Busch Cos., MillerCoors and in the auto and aeronautics industries. 

The plant has been at its current location since the early 1990s after moving from another facility in Grafton. 

The Milwaukee-based company is publicly traded and last week reported a net income of $137.2 million for the first three quarters of its current fiscal year. 

In 2017, Rexnord closed a plant in Indianapolis that had more than 300 employees. Most of those jobs were moved to Mexico.