Hexcel’s Kent aerospace manufacturing plant. COURTESY PHOTO, Hexcel

Hexcel’s Kent aerospace manufacturing plant. COURTESY PHOTO, Hexcel

Hexcel lays off 160 at Kent aerospace manufacturing plant

Impacts of Boeing 737 MAX grounding, COVID-19 pandemic

Hexcel Corp., which manufactures advanced composite materials for the commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets, has laid off 160 employees at its Kent facility.

The layoffs began on April 20, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) released April 21 by the Washington State Employment Security Department. Staff from the Employment Security Department’s local rapid response team and WorkSource center will perform outreach to employees of the organization to ease the transition.

Hexcel also will lay off 128 workers at its Burlington plant in Skagit County, according to a WARN released by the state. The manufacturer at the start of the year employed a total of 950 employees in Kent and Burlington, according to a January article on bizjournals.com. The Connecticut-based company employs more than 7,000 at 24 plants across the world, according to the Hexcel website.

First-quarter profits this year dropped 41.3% from about $72 million a year ago to around $42 million, according to the company’s website. Sales were $541 million, compared to $610 million in the first quarter of 2019, a drop of 11.3%. The company had $2.3 billion in sales in 2019.

“First quarter results were negatively impacted primarily by the continued grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President Nick Stanage in a report on the company’s website. “The 737 MAX continues to be a headwind with no production at this time.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced temporary closures at a number of our plants as well as customer plants. These impacts led to reduced sales and overhead absorption challenges. Going forward, we anticipate significant declines in demand within the aerospace and industrial markets that will challenge us for the remainder of the year. While we do not yet know how long this pandemic will last or its continued impact on customer demand, our Hexcel team is acting decisively to realign our operations in this rapidly changing business environment.”

Hexcel’s Kent facility, 19819 84th Ave. S., became part of the company in 1996 through the acquisition of the Ciba-Geigy composites business. The facility designs, manufactures and sells a broad range of complex finished interiors and structural composite components, according to the Hexcel website. The plant supplies some of the world’s top aerospace and defense contractors including Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Spirit and Sikorsky Aircraft (now part of Lockheed Martin).

Hexcel was founded in 1948.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Business

Kent-based Blue Origin’s launch May 31 in West Texas of New Shepard-32. COURTESY PHOTO, Blue Origin
Kent-based Blue Origin successfully completes 12th human spaceflight

Mission marks the 32nd flight for the New Shepard program

Kent-based Blue Origin prepares for liftoff of its New Shepard rocket Feb. 4 in Texas. COURTESY VIDEO SCREENSHOT, Blue Origin
Kent-based Blue Origin to launch 12th human flight May 31

Will be company’s 32nd flight overall of New Shepard program

Staff at the new Riverbend Bar & Grill, 2019 W. Meeker St. in Kent. COURTESY PHOTO, City of Kent
Riverbend Bar & Grill in Kent launches soft opening

New restaurant next to golf complex to offer plenty of sports on TV screens

t
Rite Aid to close Des Moines distribution center; lay off 131

Company had hired more employees at facility 17 months ago but most stores now to close or be sold

Courtesy Photo, Rite Aid
Two Kent Rite Aid locations on potential sale, closure list

Company files for bankruptcy with plans to sell or close stores

Courtesy Photo
Safeway distribution center in Auburn fined for violating new law

Fined $26,000 for quota-related safety and workplace rights violations

t
Ezee Fiber breaks ground in Kent for new internet system

Residents will have another option once company completes construction

t
Kent-based Blue Origin’s space flight draws praise, criticism

Katy Perry sings ‘What a Wonderful World’ during all-female crew flight; some critical of exclusivity

Courtesy Photo, U.S. DOJ
Jury indicts man for stealing nearly $1M from Kent company

Man faces six counts of wire fraud for alleged scheme while IT manager at Algas-SDI

Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster nears touchdown Feb. 4, 2025 in Texas during the NS-29 flight. COURTESY PHOTO, Blue Origin
Kent-based Blue Origin sets all-female flight for April 14

Singer Katy Perry among crew on New Shepard-31 to launch from West Texas

The city-owned Riverbend Golf Complex in Kent will soon have its fifth restaurant in the last 15 years at 2019 W. Meeker St., when the Riverbend Bar and Grill opens this spring. COURTESY PHOTO
New restaurant coming soon to Kent’s Riverbend Golf Complex

Riverbend Bar and Grill scheduled to open this spring at city-owned facility

Kent company recalls meatloaf products

Taylor Farms Northwest, LLC, a Kent company, is recalling approximately 79 pounds… Continue reading