Plant to move 35 jobs south

By Jim Kinney

07/14/2008- The Republican

CHICOPEE - U.S. Tsubaki will move 35 jobs from its facility on Lonczak Street in Westover Airpark West to its plant in Portland, Tenn., said a company spokesman yesterday.

There is no timetable, Tom Barton said by way of e-mail. But he said the company anticipates that the move will be completed next year.

The plant produces timing systems for the automotive industry. 
 
U.S. Tsubaki is moving its kit-packing and guide-assembly departments from Chicopee. Barton said the company is moving the jobs in order to alleviate space concerns and allow for the possible expansion of manufacturing operations here.

Tsubaki has 200 unionized production workers between the Chicopee plant and its factory on Main Street, Holyoke, said Jon R. Weissman, secretary-treasurer of the Pioneer Valley Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. The workers are represented by Local 7912 of the United Steelworkers, he said.

Steelworkers officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Holyoke plant manufactures roller chains for conveyor systems.

Barton is based at U.S. Tsubaki's headquarters in Wheeling, Ill., and did not make himself available by telephone. He also declined to answer followup questions sent by e-mail.

U.S. Tsubaki is a subsidiary of Tsubakimoto Chain Co. of Osaka, Japan. The Holyoke factory was founded in 1947 as Acme Chain.

Tsubakimoto bought Acme Chain in 1988.

U.S. Tsubaki moved to the Chicopee plant in 1996, when the company bought the 230,000-square-foot former Sundor plant.

U.S. Tsubaki is the most recent firm to ax jobs here.

Rock-Tenn Corp. closed its Champion Drive plant in January at a cost of 110 jobs. The company produced folding cartons.

Also in January, Buxton Co., which sells leather goods such as wallets, cut 65 of 105 jobs when it moved its warehouse and distribution operations to Long Beach, Calif., from a 129,000-square-foot facility on Plainfield Street.

All of Buxton's products have been made in China for 25 years.

Business writer Jim Kinney can be reached at jkinney@repub.com