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Late last year, Michigan-based Grady LLC told
workers at its 50 year old foundry in Bruton,
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Alabama that the company planned to shutter all
manufacturing operations by the end of 2025.
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On April 1st, the company issued a warm notice
with the state that says the wind down will
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begin on May 22, 2025, and some 160 employees
will be affected.
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But it turns out that many more will be out of
work.
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According to AL.com, the Bruton facility has
130 hourly employees,
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30 on salary, and some 63rd party contractors
repped by the United Steel Workers Union.
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So in total about 220 workers will be out of a
job.
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The plant makes highly engineered iron castings,
and Grady will transfer the work to other
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locations by mid-year.
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The company has 8 other locations primarily in
the Midwest,
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including 3 in Wisconsin.
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Grady makes safety critical components like
large axle housings and chassis in drivetrain
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components used in the industrial machinery,
automotive, and commercial truck markets.
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In a statement to AL.com, the company says its
primary markets haven’t rebounded to pre-COVID
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volumes, which has opened up capacity.
Across its US boundaries,
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employees will receive a severance package and
have been offered a chance to relocate to other
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plants.
The company could repurpose the facility,
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potentially converting it into a warehouse or
an R&D center.
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The Bruton Foundry was built in 1975.
Operations started the following year.
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At one point, Grady operated 4 facilities in
Alabama.
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The one in Bruton was the final one.
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I’m David Manti.
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This is manufacturing now.