By Bill Bregar
SENIOR STAFF REPORTER
Published: November 12, 2013 6:29 pm ET
Updated: November 12, 2013 6:30 pm ET
KraussMaffei Group is closing as machining plant in Treuchtlingen, Germany, that produces components for small- to mid-sized injection molding machines and extruders, KM announced Nov. 12.
KraussMaffei will move the operation to its headquarters factory in Munich, Germany, and a plant in Sucany, Slovakia.
CEO Jan Siebert said KraussMaffei is making the move to increase its international competitiveness. Some workers at Treuchtlingen will be offered jobs at the plant in Munich, about 150 kilometers south of the town. KM executives will discuss details of the shutdown with the union works council in the coming weeks.
A machinery industry source said about 150 people work at the Treuchtlingen components factory. Closing the plant probably will take some time, as the union is now planning its reaction to the announcement, and local politicians are fighting to keep the plant open, the source said.
KraussMaffei Group, which makes machines under the KM, Netstal and Berstorff nameplates, is owned by Canadian private equity company Onex Corp.
In September, KraussMaffei officials announced that KM was discontinuing all machining operations at the Swiss plant of Netstal-Maschinen AG. The Näfels factory will remain open to do final assembly of injection presses from pre-assembled components made at other KM factories.
KraussMaffei has been steadily expanding its Slovakia factory. | 
