Aleris is extending its temporary closure of the Lewisport mill for another week. The location will now be closed until April 19, with April 20 as a targeted return-to-work date.
The plant was already in the middle of a previously announced shutdown from March 25-April 13.
The closure is in response to the company’s major automotive customers announcing short-term production shutdowns, coupled with uncertainty in other markets.
According to Director of Communications Jason Saragian, the extra week-long shutdown will impact most of the workforce at the Lewisport mill, as well as most of the automotive staff at company sites in other states. The decision to idle and furlough these employees was made as an adjustment to demand.
“A lot of our places are deemed essential by the government [so that’s why we would stay open], but this closure is tied directly to automotive demand,” Saragian said. “We’re just adjusting to that.”
It’s too early to say whether the Aleris shutdown will continue past this week, but the company is staying in close communication with its customers as they analyze the ongoing situation.
“Just like with our original decision to temporarily idle Lewisport, the one-week extension was given very careful thought and consideration, as we want very much to bring people back to work as soon as possible,” Saragian said. “We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact on our employees, including health benefits.”
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