NN Inc. (USA; NASDAQ: NNBR) announced it is closing its NN Euroball steel bearing ball manufacturing facility in Kilkenny, Ireland.

While the plant will stop production in March 2009, a skeleton crew will remain through June 2009 while production equipment is shifted to other NN facilities in Europe. Approximately 80 workers will be laid off as a result.

Located in the IDA Industrial Park at Purcellsinch, the NN-Euroball Ireland plant began operating 11 years ago as an NN facility. NN Euroball was created when Kilkenny was brought under the umbrella with other European ball plants acquired from FAG and SKF. Kilkenny has reportedly been a financial drag for some time, and lately operating on shortened work weeks.

NN Euroball Europe Managing Director, Nicola Trombetti, said: "We deeply regret having to make this decision and fully appreciate the impact this move has on all of our outstanding employees in Ireland, as well as on their families and the wider community of Kilkenny. The move to close the Kilkenny plant in now way reflects on the quality of the work that has been performed there by a very committed and dedicated workforce over the past 11 years."

Some hint of the closing came in the company's third quarter earnings call, announcing disappointing results and looking forward to a challenging period. NN's President and CEO, Rock Baty, indicated the company was reviewing its global manufacturing capacity -- with an eye toward resizing capacity to match new market realities.

NN operates 14 plants worldwide; its other European rolling element plants are Pinerolo, Italy (a former SKF facility); Eltmann, Germany (former FAG); Veenendaal, The Netherlands (former SKF); and Kysucke Nove Mesto, Slovak Republic (former Kinex/KLF).

NN did not indicate which plant(s) would take over Kilkenny's production.