Meridian to buy Ford s Sandusky plant

6/13/2007

SANDUSKY Ford Motor Co. has found a buyer for an auto parts plant here that was threatened with closing by the end of 2008. It has 1,000 permanent employees.

Meridian Automotive Systems Inc., Allen Park, Mich., agreed to buy the lighting components plant for an undisclosed sum. It makes front, rear, and signal lighting for about 60 percent of the company s vehicles made in North America.

Meridian, in a separate announcement, said the deal is contingent on reaching a

long-term, competitive labor agreement with the United Auto Workers Local 1216 union.

The factory was among plants taken back by Ford two years ago in a bailout of spin-off Visteon Corp. It is part of Ford s Automotive Components Holdings unit.