Proper Group Holdings LLC is planning to close its plastic tooling and molding plant near Detroit and lay off 130 workers due to financial hardship and a private equity takeover that went sideways.
Proper Tooling will close its manufacturing plant in Warren, Mich., by March 31 after a series of employee terminations— unless it can find an investor or buyer to rescue it, said Robert Hamood, president of Proper Tooling, a division of Warren-based Proper Group.
"It's pretty sad because Proper is known in the industry as one of the most capable, high technology builders of complex tooling," said Hamood, who has worked at the company 30 years. "It's a 50-year-old company, a very proud company."
Proper Tooling makes moldings for headlights, taillights and grills for Tier 1 suppliers such as Grupo Antolin, NYX LLC and ABC Technologies.