Strike could affect Lemforder’s Brewer plant

BREWER – Lemforder Corp., an auto parts maker that employs about 210 people in Brewer, could see cutbacks if the United Auto Workers strike against General Motors continues, a Lemforder spokesman said Monday.

There are no union workers at Lemforder’s Brewer plant, but the operation produces GM parts, said Frank Buscemi, spokesman for ZF Lemforder’s North America headquarters in Northville, Mich.

“Essentially, we have to staff to customer demand, so it’s really too early for us to know how long this is going to last,” Buscemi said. “Right now in Brewer we provide ball joints and stabilizer links to GM. It’s a good part of our business in that plant. It really depends on how long [the strike] lasts.”

The Brewer Lemforder plant was constructed in 1980. It was the first North American plant built by German-based ZF Lemforder. The parent company operates 122 plants in 26 countries with 23 in North America.

Brewer Automotive Components, which employs about 160 people, primarily makes Toyota parts and is not affected by the UAW strike.