An electronic parts manufacturing facility in Taunton’s Myles Standish Industrial Park will soon be shutting its doors permanently and laying off its workforce.
AirBorn, located at 355 Constitution Drive, will be laying off 86 employees by the end of next year, according to a WARN Notice issued Aug. 20 by the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
The facility in Taunton will be closing in phases, starting Dec. 31, 2025, and concluding by Dec. 31, 2026, according to Lisa Grau from HetzelMeade Communications, representing public relations for AirBorn and its parent company, Molex.
As to why the Taunton factory is closing Grau said, “This decision is not a reflection of our dedicated employees at the site. AirBorn operates in changing markets that require the business to align its resources with customer demand.”
“A majority of the production in Taunton is contract manufacturing that is no longer viable for the business and will be exited as the site closes,” he said.
Grau said “remaining production will be transferred to other AirBorn sites in the US as the business continues to serve its customers in the aerospace and defense markets.”
Grau said AirBorn will support Taunton employees with a severance package and employee assistance including access to outplacement services.
AirBorn, an electronic parts manufacturing facility, will be closing its Taunton location in Myles Standish Industrial Park, and laying off 86 employees by the end of 2026.
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What is AirBorn?
According to its website, AirBorn builds connectors, cable assemblies, power systems, and other electronics for the aerospace, defense, medical and industrial sectors.
The company was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas, but has facilities across the nation. It opened its Taunton location at 355 Constitution Drive in 2011 after acquiring the company, AESCO, that was previously in that location.
In November 2024, AirBorn announced it was being acquired by Molex, a leading global connectivity and electronics solutions provider, according to its website.
“The aerospace and defense market represents an important new category of business for Molex. We are very excited about the opportunity to bring further diversification to our portfolio through a company with such a strong reputation and complementary product set,” said Joe Nelligan, CEO, Molex, at the time of the aquisition.
The sale was completed in December 2024.
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What is WARN?
Federal law requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide notice at least 60 calendar-days in advance of planned plant closings and mass layoffs.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, commonly known as WARN, exists to ensure workers have ample time to prepare for job transitions.
Notice must be given if the plant closings affect 50 or more employees or if layoffs affect at least 33% of the employed workforce.
If a mass layoff or branch closure will occur when a business is sold, the WARN Act still applies and the seller must give at least 60-days notice to employees.
Exceptions to the 60-day period for giving notices include unforeseeable business circumstances, natural disasters, and the chance that the notice would destroy new sources of capital that could keep a branch open.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton factory shutting down and laying off 86 workers