Auto parts workers to lose jobs

FINDLAY — The planned closing of Findlay's ZF plant, maker of brake control units at 1750 Production Drive, will start in November with the first permanent layoffs of some employees. The company, which employs 235 at the Findlay plant, reported the planned layoffs to the State Job & Family Services Department this week. In May, the company reported that it plans to permanently close the Findlay plant. It reportedly is planning to close it by summer 2025, though the company has not officially reported a closing date. The decision to close the plant was made when a contract with a ZF customer ended, and the customer switched to a different supplier. The company, along with Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, Raise the Bar and others are supporting ZF employees in seeking new employment while the plant completes its customer commitments. The ZF site and 223,169-square-foot building northwest of the intersection of Production Drive and Bright Road, could become a new location for "other manufacturers with whom we are in conversation," said Dan Sheaffer, chief executive officer of The Findlay-Hancock County Alliance. The building was constructed in 2018 by Veoneer-Nissin Brake Systems for $14 million. In 2021 it became a ZF plant. Headquartered in Friedrichshafen, Germany, ZF operates 162 production locations in 31 countries, the company website states. It supplies products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. It also serves segments such as construction and agricultural machinery, wind power, marine propulsion, rail drives and test systems, the company website states.