September 24, 2003
The Muskegon Chronicle
By Paul Novoselick

One of the segments of the economy that has been hardest hit during the current economic slowdown has been the auto parts market.

However, that doesn't seem to apply to camshaft maker CWC Textron of Roosevelt Park.

CWC Textron has announced it is undergoing an expansion of its camshaft manufacturing facility at 1085 W. Sherman and adding up to 44 new jobs after it was selected as the "camshaft supplier of choice" for three DaimlerChrysler and one General Motors engine lines.

As the result of an increased volume of sales, the company will invest $4.6 million in new machinery and equipment and facility upgrades to boost production.

Heethuis said the initial screening of the new employees is being done by the Muskegon office of Manpower, a national employment agency, and the employees should be hired by late November.

He said employment at CWC Textron has been "relatively steady" over the past few years, largely due to the "excellent reputation" CWC Textron has earned in the auto industry.

"This facility has a long and proud history in Muskegon County and we are excited that this announcement provides us the opportunity to carry on that tradition," Heethuis said.

The CWC foundry in Roosevelt Park once was part of the Campbell, Wyant & Cannon Foundry Co., founded in 1908, that employed thousands at various plants in the area during the middle of the 20th Century.

The present CWC Textron camshaft-making operation is housed in what once was known as "Plant No. 5," built in 1945. Camshafts began to be made at CWC's Plant No. 3 on Henry Street in 1936, but the camshaft work was based in Plant No. 5 in 1955. CWC was bought by Textron Inc. in 1956.

The present foundry employed 200 hourly and 65 salaried workers before the new hiring. After all are brought on board, the company is tentatively expecting to have 235 hourly and 74 salaried employees for a net gain of 44, said Rich Zidjunas, CWC Textron Vice President of Human Resources.

Hourly workers are represented by United Auto Workers union Local 539. Union local president Larry LaVigne said the news is "great."

"I see this as a new future for us," he said.

CWC Textron is a leading supplier of camshafts and camshaft technology to the global motor vehicle engine market.

Alloyed gray iron and ductile iron camshafts made at CWC Textron are running in tens of millions of cars and light trucks around the world. The camshafts are in cars made by General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Toyota and other auto companies.

The workers at CWC-Textron annually produce millions of camshafts.

The city of Roosevelt Park, Muskegon Area First and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. were "extremely responsive and supportive in helping us make the case for this expansion project," Heethuis said.

In August 2002, as part of a revamping of CWC Textron upper management, Heethuis replaced retiring Jed A. Larsen as head of the company.

CWC Textron is part of the giant multi-industry Textron Inc., and its Kautex North America division. Textron Inc. is headquartered In Providence, R.I.

© 2003 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission.