Leoni Wire closing its Chicopee location in February

Jan. 18, 2022 | Matt Conway
mconway@thereminder.com

Leoni Wire is closing after recently surpassing 30 years of services in the community.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

CHICOPEE – Leoni Wire Inc. served as a manufacturer in the Westover area at 301 Griffith Rd. since 1991, but the company is now shutting the doors on their Chicopee location.

According to their press release, Leoni Wire is a global provider of productions and services in a variety of manufacturing industries. Based in Nuremberg, Germany, the company features factories with a production cycle that encompasses wires, optical fibers, standardized cables special cables and assembled systems. The Chicopee location celebrated their 30-year anniversary in October 2021.

The factory will officially close in February. Leoni Wire Communications Manager Gregor le Claire discussed the closing and its impacts on the company. According to le Claire, a central factor in the factory’s closing is the Leoni’s desire to consolidate the company and focus more on supplying wiring systems for automotive vehicles rather than their previously extensive output of other products.

“Leoni wants to strategically focus on consolidating its leading position as a supplier of wiring systems for the automotive industry. Against this backdrop, the company has already sold several non-automotive units in 2021,” said le Claire. Several Leoni facilities in the United States and Europe are ceasing operations alongside the Chicopee location, according to le Claire.

The permanent closure comes after the company endured the arduous impacts of the pandemic. Leoni closed the Chicopee location from April to May in 2020 during the advent of COVID-19’s arrival in the United States. In a press release, CEO Aldo Kamper highlighted the company’s efforts to evolve from the challenges.

“Leoni continued to stabilize despite the substantially cloudier conditions in the third quarter. We successfully confronted the persisting disruptions of global supply chains – with full commitment and great flexibility,” said Kamper.

The factory’s closing will remove approximately 80 workers from their current positions. Le Claire explained that the company’s decision was not made lightly, but became an unavoidable reality due to the company’s financial circumstances.

“The decision to close the Chicopee-based company with approximately 80 employees was not an easy one for Leoni Wire. Unfortunately, despite intensive conversations with several potential investors, it was not possible to find a long-term continuation perspective for LWI, both strategically and financially,” said le Claire.

Readers can learn more about Leoni Wire and the closing of their Chicopee location at https://www.leoni.com/en/.

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