Continental shocks Henderson County leaders with their big announcement to close Fletcher plant, causing 650 to lose their jobs.
Continental is a German tire and auto parts supplier where hydraulic brake systems are produced.
Although layoffs will not be immediate, the economic impact to Henderson, Buncombe and surrounding counties will be massive, where these 650 employees work, live and spend their money according to civic leaders throughout the area.
Layoffs will begin in 2021 and the plant will close at the end of 2022.
Continental says they will assist workers by identifying vacancies in other of their plants, including one in Morganton, N.C.
In 2013, a more happy announcement from Continental said they would invest $35 million dollars in this Fletcher plant to create more jobs.
Some 15,000 of 244,000 world-wide Continental jobs will be lost by 2023.
Henderson County Commissioner, Mike Edney, issued a Facebook statement saying "very disheartening to learn that Continental Automotive in Henderson County, NC is closing a new state of the art facility employing 650 great people and moving to Mexico - I assume for the cheap labor and to save a buck. Penny wise and pound foolish".
Story posted by Art Cooley on Thursday, September 26, 2019.
