SKF AB (Sweden) announced it is closing the Luton, Bedfordshire, UK bearing manufacturing facility in the UK for at least a week, idling 300 of the plant's 400 employees.

Those laid off are being asked to take the time as paid or unpaid vacation, rather than as a lack-of-work layoff.

The Luton factory manufactures large spherical roller bearings from 20mm through 100mm ID, and CARB toroidal roller bearings, primarily for heavy-duty industrial, papermaking, steel production, and mining equipment applications. Luton also produces sealed spherical roller bearings designed for applications exposed to very high temperatures where lubricants are compromised, such as steel furnaces.

Plant Manager, Heike Sengstschmid, said that although SKF's worldwide demand is down, and "although this is offset by stronger revenues from aerospace and other specialized markets, we still need to take measures that will ensure we meet short-term fluctuations in demand while creating an even stronger operating base for when the global economy recovers. This will enable us to reduce stock levels and cut operating costs without affecting our flexibility to respond to customer demands."

SKF has been in Luton since 1910. The first Luton plant, finished in 1911, was SKF's first purpose-built bearing manufacturing facility outside Sweden. SKF operated in the UK as Skefco from 1910 until 1973, when it was renamed SKF UK Ltd. The current facility was completed in 1955.