About 140 workers will lose their jobs by spring as one of Broomfield’s largest companies moves its manufacturing operations to Mexico.
Bestop, a manufacturer of soft tops, hardtops and accessories for the Jeep Wrangler and other sport utility vehicles, is in the process of closing its Broomfield plant. Bestop’s parent company, Magna International, announced the move Thursday.
The decision was driven by “difficult economic conditions facing the North American auto industry due to reduced domestic production and customer demands,” said Tracy Fuerst, Magna International’s spokeswoman.
The transition is underway and should be complete by the end of April, Fuerst said. Employees were notified in March that layoffs would be coming.
The facility at 2100 W. Midway Blvd. is the home of Bestop’s manufacturing plant and division headquarters.
The corporate office and 50 to 60 employees will remain in Broomfield, Fuerst said.
The company moved to Broomfield in 1987. During the late 1990s, it employed nearly 700 people. In 2007, Bestop cut 129 positions but still was one of the 50 largest employers in Boulder and Broomfield counties, according to the Daily Camera’s annual survey of area businesses. The company reported having 275 employees, ranking it 41st in the Camera’s listing, and revenue of $76.5 million.
Bestop declined to participate in the 2009 survey.
“It’s been on the radar screen for about three years now,” said Don Dunshee, president of the Broomfield Economic Development Corp. “They made the decision a long, long time ago, and it just took them a while (to finish).”
When the 2007 layoffs were announced, it was thought that more would follow and that Magna would consolidate divisions. The move was delayed because the market for Jeep and SUV accessories remained strong, Dunshee said.
Bestop was founded in 1954 in Boulder and started out as a small trim shop making canvas tops for World War II-era Jeeps.
Magna acquired the company in 1996.
