Chris Traber, Staff Writer

Exterion is a manufacturing division of Magna International Inc.’s Decoma International operating unit. The company plans to close and consolidate its operations with other Decoma facilities within seven months, eventually ceasing Exterion’s operations at both locations, the company announced.

Employees’ departure dates will be determined by production schedules, Ms Fuerst said.

“No one has been let go to date,” she said from Detroit, MI, where she serves as Magna corporate communications director.

“As of yet, we don’t know when the phasing will start.”

The 350 employees in Aurora and 500 in Newmarket manufacture front and rear automobile fascias, including front grills, fenders and body side panels. Customers include General Motors, Ford and Honda.

“The difficult decision to close the facility came after a careful evaluation of the facility’s financial status, future business and open capacity in other facilities,” the company said in a news release.

“Those factors, combined with the difficult economic conditions facing the North American auto industry due to reduced domestic production and customer demands, have made the Exterion operations no longer viable.”

Exterion will provide prior notice and/or severance packages based on workers’ years of service and will offer outplacement assistance, Ms Fuerst said.

“Most people ask if there’s chance to transfer to other Magna facilities,” she said.

“It’s a large company and we are looking to assist wherever we can with transfers to other Magna family locations.”

The future of the sites at 200 Industrial Parkway North in Aurora and 402 Mulock Drive in Newmarket are unknown, she added.

Today’s announcement followed on the heels of one earlier in the month that said Magna Closures, an operating unit of Magna International Inc., will consolidate its KTM (Concord), Dortec (Newmarket) and CMP  (Bradford) facilities and will close KTM by the end of July 2009.