Sterling Heights machine shop Cuts 156 jobs as Ford shifts work to India

JG Kern Enterprises, a family-owned machine shop in Sterling Heights, has notified the state of Michigan that it will permanently lay off 156 workers after Ford pulled its business, with at least part of the work moving to suppliers in India. The company, which has supplied Ford for more than five decades, cited unforeseeable business circumstances in its Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing.

The layoffs follow a significant drop in demand for the F-150 Lightning, the electric truck that accounted for most of the plant’s recent output. Ford sold 27,307 Lightnings in 2025, a figure that represents only about 18% of the annual production target the company had set for the vehicle. Ford concluded production of the current Lightning model in December 2025 and announced plans for an extended-range version, though it has not set a launch date.

JG Kern, which manufactures close-tolerance components such as transmission flanges and axle flanges, spent millions on equipment expecting high monthly volumes from Ford. The shop, which employs up to 250 people at full production and generates between $30 million and $50 million in annual revenue, is expected to idle by the end of the year as it finishes remaining work at reduced volume.

Read the full story at theautowire.com.