HAZELWOOD, Mo. – In February 2022, GKN Aerospace shocked employees and regional leaders by announcing plans to close its Hazelwood plant by the end of 2023.
At the time, a company spokesperson said the plant was no longer profitable, and the company would begin a “gradual site wind-down process.” GKN was once the third-largest employer in the St. Louis area, supplying plane and aerospace parts for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and other manufacturers.
Last Friday, GKN Aerospace submitted a notice to Missouri’s Office of Workforce Development explaining the layoffs would occur in three phases, on Aug. 25, Oct. 6, and Dec. 31. Approximately 715 people will lose their jobs as a result.
In June 2022, Representatives Cori Bush (St. Louis) and Emanuel Cleaver (Kansas City) sent a letter to the CEO of GKN Aerospace and the GKN President of Defense seeking a solution that would not involve closing the plant. Those efforts were unsuccessful.