Barnes Group plans to close Bristol production facility

COSTAR Barnes Group's Main Street headquarters in Bristol.

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Bristol-based manufacturer Barnes Group Inc. announced its second major change in Connecticut operations in the last few weeks.

On Thursday Barnes Group said it plans to close the production operations at its Engineered Components facility in Bristol.

That operation supports the U.S. automotive industry and focuses on the manufacturing, stamping and assembly of legacy transmission springs and washers.

Demand for those products is waning amid the ongoing “decline in U.S. powertrain automotive production” as auto manufacturers increasingly shift to producing electric vehicles, Barnes Group said.

Supply chain issues and ongoing inflation are also playing a role in the closure, which will impact 95 employees, the company said.

Work performed at the facility will either be transferred to other Engineered Components manufacturing locations or permanently discontinued. The Bristol facility closure is expected to be completed by mid-2023, the company said.

The announcement comes a week after Barnes’ aerospace unit disclosed plans to expand its maintenance and repair facility in East Granby.

Barnes also recently changed its top leadership.

Thomas J. Hook took over the CEO position earlier this month, succeeding Patrick J. Dempsey who held the position for almost a decade.