Quanex to Close Kentucky Plant, Restructure IG Operations

Quanex Building Products Corp. in Houston will close its Barbourville, Ky., location and let go approximately 200 employees, says George L. Wilson, general manager of Quanex Insulating Glass Systems.

The equipment used to manufacture the company's single-seal warm-edge spacer system at the Barbourville plant will be relocated to the Cambridge, Ohio, facility.

There will be a few salaried employee jobs created in Cambridge, and "we anticipate most will be filled locally," Wilson says. "In terms of hourly union employees, it's all being negotiated now with the union.

Wilson says that the 400,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Cambridge can handle all the existing equipment, and has 200,000 square feet open. "All the equipment from the Barbourville plants is being transferred," he says. "We are not adding additional capacity, and will continue with the existing capacity. Customers are being contacted about the closure."

"While it was a very difficult decision to close our spacer facility in Kentucky, we believe this consolidation will allow us to better serve our customers through streamlined operations," adds David D. Petratis, Quanex president and chief executive officer.

The restructuring plan also includes the consolidation of administrative functions, as well as research and development, making Wilson the general manager of Quanex Insulating Glass Systems.

The consolidation of operations and the subsequent closure of the Barbourville facility are expected to be completed during Quanex's fiscal third quarter 2012.