Würth Closing Cardinal Fastener in Ohio; Moving Production to Dokka in Michigan
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Cardinal Fastener’s Ohio plant, which opened in 1983 and was acquired by the Würth Group in 2011, will be closed and production shifted to Würth’s Dokka Fasteners plant in Michigan this spring.
“Unfortunately, having two separate plants with similar capabilities located so close together became increasingly difficult to justify,” Würth executive vice president Marc Strandquist explained. “We appreciate the support of our customers and plan on supporting their needs again after the equipment has been installed and commissioned at the Dokka Fasteners operation.”
Part of the Würth Hot Forging Group, Dokka Fasteners is a hot forging and machining operation utilizing automation and robotics throughout the plant north of Detroit that opened in 2010.
The $20 million robotic hot forming manufacturing facility was designed to replicate the high-tech process found in the facility of Dokka Norway — which has provided wind energy fastener products for over two decades.
Products from the Michigan plant include bolts from M24 through M72 up to 675 mm in length, as well as studs and threaded rod in sized M16 through M80 and lengths up to 2,300 mm. Dokka also has inhouse heat treat capabilities.
The addition of Cardinal’s equipment to the Auburn Hills Dokka plant will expand its capabilities.
Dokka products are used in “some of the most critical applications and harshest environments,” according to the press announcement.
Cardinal received worldwide publicity for its wind energy fastener manufacturing when then President-elect Barack Obama toured the plant en route to his 2009 inauguration. It is believed to be the only presidential visit to a fastener plant. Obama touted Cardinal’s domestic manufacturing of wind energy industry fasteners. (For the story click on the Fastener History: 2009 FIN – Wind Turbine Fasteners Create Draw for Industry’s First Presidential Plant Tour.)
The media exposure vaulted then-CEO John Grabner into the national business spotlight. For months after the visit, Grabner appeared on TV broadcasts to discuss renewable energy opportunities and lean manufacturing.
The presidential visit was also good for business, helping Cardinal to nearly double its revenues with wind energy fasteners by supplying more than a dozen wind turbine builders, including the Danish wind manufacturer Vestas and the Spanish Gamesa SA.
But Cardinal struggled to make the necessary investments for growth in the wind turbine industry, and had to file for bankruptcy on June 30, 2011. The Chapter 11 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Cleveland showed Cardinal had been borrowing heavily and was millions of dollars in debt.
Würth acquired Cardinal out of bankruptcy in 2011.
The Cardinal closing press release from Dokka’s director of sales Jim Witucki stated that “our primary focus is to provide our customers with security – security of working with a supplier who is financially secure, a supplier who constantly re-invests capital into our manufacturing and inspection processes, a supplier who effectively manages the sub-supply base, and builds a robust product designed to exceed customer expectations. Through effective implementation of the Dokka Production System and its inherent quality and LEAN principles, Dokka offers our customers a total commitment to security.” Web: dokkafasteners.us
For more on state incentives that led to the Michigan location selection over Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, FIN Subscribers can CLICK HERE.
Stories in the Fastener History section of GlobalFastenerNews.com:
1983 FIN – Grabner Acquires Cardinal
1988 FIN – Cardinal Acquires Stelfast Production Equipment
2009 FIN – Wind Turbine Fasteners Create Draw for Industry’s First Presidential Plant Tour
2010 FIN – Norway’s Dokka Building Plant in Michigan
2011 FIN – Würth Buys Cardinal Fastener
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