BAE Systems late Thursday said by the end of the year the 113 employees at its Lemont Furnace, Pa., plant will be shuttered after nearly 20 years as work runs out on Bradley Fighting Vehicles and other vehicle work.
“The company greatly appreciates the hard work and dedication of the entire workforce in Lemont Furnace,” said Erwin Bieber, president of BAE Systems Land & Armaments sector. “The current business environment has made this difficult announcement necessary. The plant closure in no way reflects upon the work and dedication of the employees. We will do all we can to assist them in this difficult transition.”
 |
| Bradley Fighting Vehicle Photo: BAE Systems |
The decision to close the Fayette facility was made in response to the planned completion of existing contracts managed at the Fayette site and no prospect of future work for the facility. It is anticipated that all of the production work at the facility will be complete by the end of November. All employees at the facility will be released from the company or moved to another site by the end of December.
This facility is a part of the Bradley Industrial Base, which is at significant risk of experiencing further cuts and impacts to jobs and communities across the country. “This is an extremely unfortunate business decision we’ve had to make and are doing everything we can to prevent this from continuing to happen across the Bradley Industrial Base,” said Bieber.
Bradley Fighting Vehicle production has long been a production staple at BAE’s York, Pa., plant.
The company has been working to repair, upgrade and sustain the vehicles because of the uncertainties of when–and even if–new vehicles might become available. The Bradley industrial base supports jobs in 44 states. Suppliers have spent time in Washington, D.C., to support their effort, saying eliminating Bradley work and production would cost more money and learning time for critical capabilities to restart than if the work continues at a lower level (Defense Daily, April 25).
The BAE Fayette facility’s primary focus has been to overhaul and upgrade various types of military equipment, primarily the Bradley Family of Fighting Vehicles and M109 self-propelled howitzers, for the Army, Marines and foreign governments.