As the US steel industry has encountered positive momentum, Pacific Steel Casting in West Berkeley, California is extending its outlook to remain open for at least another quarter due to new orders. The previously planned permanent shutdown on Dec. 17 has been extended until March 2018. In a statement, Krishnan Venkatesan, PSC’s president, acknowledged the support of several major customers such as Peterbilt Trucks in maintaining the doors open.
The previous Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN notice, is now void and plans to shut down in the future will require a new notification. Pacific Steel currently employs about 80 union workers.
Pacific Steel Casting makes custom parts for trucks, cars, buses, wheelchairs and other agricultural and industrial uses. Speyside Equity, a private equity firm founded in Michigan, acquired Pacific Steel Casting in 2014 for $11.5 million after the Desol family filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize the company. Speyside owns a number of foundries in the US and Canada. The collective bargaining agreement elements have reportedly been a source of difficulty for the company.