Nexteer Automotive, a key player in the automotive steering and driveline industry, has confirmed layoffs affecting approximately 80 employees at its Buena Vista Township and Auburn Hills, Michigan, facilities. According to a statement detailed by ABC12, Herve Boyer, the company's Senior Vice President, cited the necessity to "align the company's operations with current and future demand" as the driving force behind the decision to reduce its workforce.
With approximately 1,100 workers at its Buena Vista Township plant alone, the layoffs represent a significant cut, particularly given that Nexteer is among Saginaw County's largest employers. The local plant specializes in power steering and driveline components. To soften the blow, Nexteer offers support services and separation packages to affected employees to aid them through the transition.
Further information provided by WNEM indicates that as of December 2024, Nexteer had 6,139 employees across North America. In detailing the restructuring measures, Boyer emphasized the company's commitment to "a sustainable future by strengthening our competitiveness in the long-term interest of our employees, customers and other stakeholders."
The layoffs come despite Nexteer's considerable local investment, which included a $25.5 million grant and a $2.2 million tax break from the Michigan Strategic Fund Board in support of expansion into the Buena Vista Township facility. The company's Saginaw County plant is the only manufacturing location in the U.S., part of a global network of 27 facilities. Nexteer Automotive is a significant employer in the area, superseded only by Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw County.
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