Panasonic closing Ga. plant

Panasonic plant in Peachtree City. (Courtesy)

Panasonic has announced that a car stereo production line at Peachtree City, south of Atlanta, will close by the end of 2009.

Company spokesman say the closure -- among the largest in Georgia this year -- will put 500 employees out of work.

Panasonic says the production facility will be moved to Mexico, in order to cut costs in a tight car market.

But, company officials say they will continue product development and regional administration at the Peachtree location.

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Panasonic plant closure to hit 250 workers

Panasonic Primary Battery Corporation of America plans to close one of three battery manufacturing facilities in Columbus, in the first quarter of 2008.

Plant administrators informed the 250 employees of the decision on Monday, citing competition from Chinese imports. A employee who recently left the company said they had no prior warning of the impending closure of the facility, which makes alkaline batteries.

Local officials of the Osaka-based firm, a subsidiary of Matsushita, said they planned to offer severance packages, and would work with state officials to retrain employees.

The company's two other facilities will be unaffected by the March 31 closure, and will employ over 100 workers, according to a report in the Ledger-Enquirer newspaper.

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