Hoover Precision Products Inc. (USA; a division of Tsubaki Nakashima, Japan; privately held) announced it will be closing the Specialty Division ball manufacturing plant in Erwin, Tennessee.

Confirming rumors spreading for the past several months, Hoover said Erwin will close as of September 30, 2007. The plant currently employs approximately 80 people; hourly workers are represented by United Steelworkers Local 5945.

Hoover cited excess U.S. production capacity, noting: "The decision is part of the ongoing product restructuring plan to reduce the company's exposure to the automotive market while focusing our global resources on customers with long term growth."

The Erwin plant closing has an eerie level of Jungian synchronicity; its sister plant, built at the same time in Ann Arbor, Michigan and now owned by NSK, is set to be officially closed the same day.

Built in 1959, the 171,000 square foot Erwin plant, "was the foundation for ball production in the automotive bearing market." Erwin was established when the company was Hoover Ball and Bearing, so that ball production could be centralized after a series of acquisitions, including Strom Steel Ball.

When ball production was moved to Erwin, a new Ann Arbor plant became dedicated to manufacturing bearings. Hoover in Ann Arbor became a ball bearing manufacturing joint venture with NSK in 1972, and was eventually sold to NSK in 1975. In 2005, NSK announced Ann Arbor would close by September 30, 2007.

article: NSK closing Ann Arbor bearing plant
Tsubaki Nakashima acquired the Hoover ball operations from Johnson Controls / Hoover Group in 1990. Hoover's headquarters are in Cumming, Georgia.

Tsubaki Nakashima currently operates thirteen facilities in Japan; North America; Puebla, Mexico; Debrecen, Hungary; China; and Poland.

In recent years, Erwin's focus has been on specialty materials supporting numerous related markets, which have been gradually losing market share to offshore competitors.

The plant's ball production included stainless; aluminum; bronze; chrome; k-monel; S2 tool steel; ornamental (not heat treated); and burnishing, deburring and grinding media.

Hoover said it has been letting Erwin product customers know if the balls they are buying will be discontinued, or if production will be shifted to other plants.

While the company's U.S. headquarters is in Cumming, Georgia, it also has U.S. plants in Cumming; East Granby, Connecticut; and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.