Eaton will close Belmond facility in 2020

Long-time area employer Eaton Corporation has announced that they will be shutting down their heavy duty engine valve plant in Belmond. Employees of the Belmond facility were informed last Thursday that the factory would be closing down by the end of next year.

"We're building out the details at this time," said Eaton Senior Manager of Communications Camie Hanily. "What we do know is that the plant will close by the end of 2020. Probably not until December of 2020."

Hanily says that the decision to shut down the plant was not made lightly and Eaton's has made it clear that it is not a reflection on the work of their employees. Nevertheless, the Belmond facility has become uncompetitive in recent times, forcing the company to restructure their engine valve production business.

"We were losing some business. We were unable to become competitive from a price standpoint," said Hanily. "It just got to a point where we were unable to find and secure new business for that kind of heavy duty engine valve."

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