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Würth Closing Cardinal in Ohio; Moving Production to Dokka in Michigan

2015-03-13

The Cardinal Fastener plant in Ohio, which opened in 1983 and was acquired by the Würth Group in 2011, will be closed and production shifted to Würth’s Dokka Fasteners plant in Michigan this spring. “Unfortunately, having two separate plants with similar capabilities located so close together became increasingly difficult to justify,” Würth executive vice president Marc Strandquist explained.“We appreciate the support of our customers and plan on supporting their needs again after the equipment has been installed and commissioned at the Dokka Fasteners operation.” Dokka is part of the Würth Hot Forging Group. Dokka Fasteners is a hot forging and machining operation utilizing automation and robotics throughout the plant north of Detroit that opened in 2010. The $20 million robotic hot forming manufacturing facility was designed to replicate the high-tech process found in the facility of Dokka Norway — which has provided wind energy fastener products for over two decades. Products from the Michigan plant include bolts from M24 through M72 up to 675 mm in length, as well as studs and threaded rod in sized M16 through M80 and lengths up to 2,300 mm. Dokka also has in-house heat treat capabilities. The addition of Cardinal’s equipment to the Auburn Hills Dokka plant will expand its capabilities. Cardinal received worldwide publicity for its wind energy fastener manufacturing when then President-elect Barack Obama toured the plant en route to his 2009 inauguration. It is believed to be the only presidential visit to a fastener plant. Obama touted Cardinal's domestic manufacturing of wind energy industry fasteners.