Supplier Martinrea to lay off nearly 200 at Kentucky plant

Supplier Martinrea International Inc. plans to lay off nearly 200 employees at a stamping plant in Shelbyville, Ky., next week.

The 192 afffected employees represent nearly a quarter of the total work force at the stamping plant, which is transitioning to supply a newer Ford Escape model, Deanna Lorincz, a spokeswoman for Martinrea said in an emailed statement.

Ford is giving the 2020 Escape crossover a comprehensive redesign.

"The layoffs are due to the new model not having as much vehicle content to support the labor from the former model year," Lorincz said. "We have secured long-term work on a great platform for hundreds of people supporting the future of the plant and operations in Shelbyville."

A spokeswoman for Ford declined to comment on the layoffs, stating the automaker will not discuss supplier agreements.

Hourly workers at the Martinrea stamping plant are represented by UAW Local 2383. The union didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Martinrea, based in Ontario, Canada, is No. 78 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide sales to automakers of $2.7 billion in 2018. It produces steel and aluminum body, chassis and engine components, fluid handling parts and assemblies.