TAUNTON, Mass. (Dec. 14, 2010)—The auction of equipment at Esterline Technologies Corp.'s closed Haskon Aerospace factory in Taunton has been delayed from today until Jan. 19.
The plant shut down Oct. 26 and members of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America Local 204 have been investigating ways to purchase the remaining machinery at the silicone aircraft seal facility and keep it operating. Those efforts have included trying to find investors to fund the purchase as well as asking the local City Council to buy the plant's equipment by eminent domain.
Heritage Global Partners was scheduled to auction the machinery off beginning today, but company officials agreed to grant an extension, said James Sweeney, chief operating officer of Brea, Calif.-based Kirkhill-TA Co., of which Haskon was a division.
Sweeney said the firm had a request from union officials and community members for the extension “for the union to find whatever funding it can come up with.”