Hardinge splits company, will keep plant open

ELMIRA HEIGHTS, N.Y. ( WETM ) — Hardinge announced that its Elmira Heights plant will continue operating under a new name after the company sold its businesses.

According to a Sept. 19 press release, Hardinge sold its global machine businesses and workholding businesses to Centre Lane Partners affiliates in compliance with the United States Bankruptcy Code. The global machine businesses will run as Kellenberger, and Forkardt Hardinge will operate the workholding businesses. These newly-formed companies will run as separate entities under Centre Lane.

The Upper Oakwood Avenue plant will stay in business at its current location under Forkardt Hardinge. The plant’s more than 200 employees will keep their jobs, and the company is looking to hire machinists, engineers, buyers, customer service representatives, and more.

“The Elmira community has been our home for over 100 years, and Forkardt Hardinge is excited to continue this tradition,” said Forkardt Hardinge CEO Ryan Ervin. “Workholding might not be a familiar term to everyone, but our products are trusted by some of the largest and most technologically advanced companies worldwide.”

Hardinge previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its U.S. operations at the end of July and notified its employees that its Super-Precision Unit was at risk of closing . The company was able to continue operations during the Chapter 11 process thanks to financing from a Centre Line affiliate, and funding from an unspecified source kept the Super-Precision Unit running .

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