HAZELWOOD — GKN Aerospace said Thursday it will close its facility here by the end of next year.Â
Wesley Bates, a spokesman for British-owned GKN, wrote in a statement that the factory, which makes parts for military and commercial airplanes, has struggled to be profitable in recent years and seen orders decline.
"We have regrettably concluded that it does not have a long-term, sustainable future within the business," the statement said.
Bates said the facility will gradually wind down operations over the next two years and finish remaining work in consultation with customers. He would not say what would happen to employees, who numbered around 800 as recently as 2016.
GKN bought the facility on James S. McDonnell Boulevard from Boeing in 2001. At the time, its workers were making metal and composite parts for projects like the Super Hornet fighter jet and the C-17 Globemaster III transport.