Industry News

On 28^th August Dokka Fasteners Inc announced it will cease operations at its Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, plant by the end of 2015; the closure process beginning immediately. Dokka emphasises that the decision solely affects the USA facility and not its operations in Norway.

The statement issued by CEO Louis Vasilevski notes: “The decision to close Dokka Fasteners in Auburn Hills, MI, was difficult after just committing to build the state of the art facility in 2010. Although the plant start-up went well, the business was subject to uncertainty due to the state of the wind industry in the United States. The landscape for wind energy is volatile based on a lack of a committed US renewable energy policy, gridlock of government in Washington, and the uncertainty of the production tax credit. Furthermore, inexpensive fossil fuels continue to pose a challenge to the growth of renewable energy. Lastly, the strong US dollar has made competing against European competitors and low priced Asian imports increasingly difficult. The Dokka Fasteners Norway plant will continue to support customers demanding high-quality fasteners used in extreme applications.”

Dokka Fasteners joined the Würth Group as part of the acquisition of Arvid Nilsson in 2008. The product of a US$20 million investment, the Auburn Hills hot forging and machining operation opened in late 2011. It uses automation and robotics throughout to manufacture fasteners for critical applications and harsh environments. At the beginning of 2015 Dokka relocated production from Cardinal Fasteners, which it acquired from bankruptcy in 2011, to the Auburn Hills plant, north of Detroit.