Do you think IAC Mendon will remain open past 2009?

Just curious if there are any lifers like me. I say yes for some grotesque reason. Thoughts?

why wouldn't it stay open? I don't know where your getting your information that it's closing. all this site is BS, all I can say is we are all working, the only time there is lay-off is when who we ship to closes down week here week there. maybe if your not happy working there, you need to find another job, somebody out there would probably like your job, that doesn't have one.

With all the incentives IAC is getting to put work in to Wauseon and Fremont, it does tend to make you wonder about the future of your employment if you are not one of those two plants. Just because nobody in management has said it, doesn't mean nobody has it on their minds.

I hope things pick up for all of use, but I don't have much faith that it will.

I heard that Wauseons Plt Mgr was sharp. I didnt know him when he was here. Medon...whoever you are you are rude. BS is what drives the economy, just give it a try.
MIM

Mindful In Mendon wrote:

I heard that Wauseons Plt Mgr was sharp. I didnt know him when he was here. Medon...whoever you are you are rude. BS is what drives the economy, just give it a try

You might not think it BS but people read these and then think there Plant is closing, If you have a contract book from mendon there's a saying that they can't take things out of are plant intending to closing it til 2012

The same contract that has been broken open twice in three years?

Never answered ques about Wauseon Plt Mgr..he ok?

MIM, your posts contradict yourself. Quit playing Monday morning quarterback, quit wasting your time posting here everyday and be part of the solution. Mendon has been and is a great plant with a solid future. People are already up tight with the things that are outside our control (economy, etc.) Quit stirring the pot.

any new Mendon news? i havent heard squat. pls rspnd.

Mendon's work is dwindling. Anyone besides me think Mendon will close when the GMT900 console builds out? Port Huron can run our headliners and Wauseon has the presses to run our doorpanels.

Lot of salary people let go and or extended layoffs, moral sucks, who thinks we are toast?

If you worked here you would see its demise as well.

Mindful In Mendon wrote:

Mendon's work is dwindling. Anyone besides me think Mendon will close when the GMT900 console builds out? Port Huron can run our headliners and Wauseon has the presses to run our doorpanels.
Lot of salary people let go and or extended layoffs, moral sucks, who thinks we are toast?

Are you talking about the RT FRONT doors panels, I would not worry about Wauseon, we are at about max capacity, unless we use the soon to be closed JCIM plant next door.

RT is small potato's compared to our GMT900 20% seat and Chrysler MK and MP headliners and doors. We are dying here. Unless spouse has a stable job elsewhere no one can stay laidoff like this. Mendon is going down. Ques is: How soon?

MIM, you need to get a grip and quit posting your gloom and doom. Yes things are tough right now but they are not due to any fault of the plant or company. Do you read the news? What is happening at Mendon right now with lay-offs is going on at EVERY IAC plant and at all automotive suppliers. In fact at most plants it has been even worse. People have to buy cars... It's that simple. Things will get better but probably not until after April. Mendon has a lot more business than most plants. Let's be positive. Mendon also has some unique contract language that offers some security until atleast 2012 which is more than most plants can say.

reality wrote:

MIM, you need to get a grip and quit posting your gloom and doom. Yes things are tough right now but they are not due to any fault of the plant or company. Do you read the news? What is happening at Mendon right now with lay-offs is going on at EVERY IAC plant and at all automotive suppliers. In fact at most plants it has been even worse. People have to buy cars... It's that simple. Things will get better but probably not until after April. Mendon has a lot more business than most plants. Let's be positive. Mendon also has some unique contract language that offers some security until atleast 2012 which is more than most plants can say.

MIM has every right to get on here and post doom and gloom if he/she so wishes. It is his/her opinion right or wrong. You don't have to agree with it but you should respect his/her opinion.

Reality is, a good plant can close regardless of its strong past success. Fill out ur resume and take time to choose what ur next life is doing...IAC Mendon will linger awhile...be prepared and protect ur familes. Ques: can u afford a new car? Nor can I nor my friends, family or anyone. Peace be with you. MIM

my husband worked for iac and was laid off permently last night..... mendon is going down hill and it is fast....

I hate to admit it, but I think you may be right about our plant going downhill fast BUT the bit of optimism in me wants to remind everyone that we have faced some pretty tough stuff there in the past few years with buyouts, pay cuts,losing visors etc. and everytime our leaders (Martin, Nichols, Wisti) stood before us and said that they were working hard to achieve something better for us they did it. Dave Martin worked his ass off to get that 20% line in there and right now it is the only thing keeping the doors open. When visors were on their way out, Craig Nichols said they were bidding door panel lines and they got it here. I'm not a brown noser by any mean but I have quite a bit of faith in our team of leaders. The unfortunate part is that we haven't had one of those morale boosting meetings in awhile. If we fall its not at the fault of our people (maybe IAC Corporate but not IAC Mendon).

BTW = Our contract book states that "the company will not voluntarily take work out of the Mendon plant" There is ONE problem with this statement: The 20% seat line is a LEAR line and LEAR can take it and put it anywhere it sees fit should we screw it up at Mendon. Lear holds the contract with GM not us:(

Laid off as well here.

Dave Martin is a great man. Lord bless him and his family during his recovery process. We have never recovered from his loss.

The current guys are decent but they were not trained by John John Steensma and knew Mendon. Steensma nurtured 6 to-be plant mgrs at other Lear plants during his career in Mendon. The new guys are doing their first stint with no guidance.

Times have changed. It will never be like it was but we have to make it what we can. Use eachother for contacts for openings, share struggles you have, befriend your fellow union worker and salary person and hold strong. It is sad that we did not see this coming earlier. Be proactive and network here...OK? MIM

Dave Martin is a good man. We all miss him because he was like part of our family. Like Stressed I too have faith in our current leadership team. I am not sure how well you know Craig Nichols or Jeff Wisti but they are both great people. Actually Craig did work directly for John Steensma as both Engineering Manager and Operations Manager and spent like 6 years here growing up before he went to Madisonville to be there Plant Manager. I grab Craig when he is on the floor and ask him questions all the time. He always tells it straight. If you don't know him, you should talk to him when he is on the floor or even pop up to his office when your not working.

Times have changed, no doubt. The negative changes going on over the past 6 months are outside our control. We have the same business that was booming 6 months ago we just aren't building as many of those parts because no one is buying cars and trucks. I have asked several corporate engineers questions when they have been at the plant in the past few months about what corporate thinks of Mendon. They have said we have a great team and we are one of the best plants they have. They have said even with the industry downturn we are still one of the top sales plants and 90% of our other plants are hurting even worse then we are. They also have said that Mendon is always discussed for new business opportunities.

I just asked Craig the other day what we were working on for new business. He told me we have a new PM door panel line coming in around April to replace the current one that adds multiple machines including Laser cutting machines? He said they just got approval to bring in work to fill up the Atom Press. He also said they are going to really ramp up trying to land some non-automotive business from surrounding industries like medical, furniture, and RV. He also said that now that the M2 line is only service they are developing a plan to strip the line down and free up some more space and will be considered for other large parts like Headliners, Doors, etc.

I asked Craig when he thought things would pick back up and he said we had a lot of customer downtime until the end of March but he thought things had pretty much bottomed out and would slowly climb back up after that period.

Hopefully our industry bounces back soon and hopefully we are one of the last good suppliers left standing. If that happens, our future should be bright. Many prayers to all our Mendon families and those that have been laid off during these tough times. If we don't have one another we are lost.