A major Hardin County employer is closing its doors.
Akebono Brake in Elizabethtown announced it is closing its plant at 300 Ring Road. The factory employs 639 people and opened in 1987.
The plant makes disc brakes, drum brakes and high-performance brakes.
The announcement follows the company’s previous announcement on December 19, 2019, when Akebono disclosed plans to cease production and close two of its factories in Tennessee and South Carolina, according to the Brake Report. Those plants ended operations by September 2020.
Akebono also has a factory in Barren County that employs nearly 800 people (as of 2018), WDBR.com reports.
The intention of the closure is to “optimize the production structure in North America and to ensure the (Japanese) company’s stability amid business reforms,” according to the Brake Report.
The plant is scheduled to close in December 2025.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
