Aerospace manufacturer to consolidate in East Hartford

HORST to shutter Mass. plant amid pandemic losses

HORST Engineering, a manufacturer of precision machined aerospace components, announced Wednesday it’s shutting its Lynn, Massachusetts, operations and consolidating at its headquarters in East Hartford.

A few of the 23 employees are expected to make the move, which was forced by the steep downturn in aviation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. HORST employs 88 workers in East Hartford and South Windsor.

“This has been an extremely difficult decision because we had such high hopes for the facility when we acquired it in early 2013,” Chief Executive Officer Scott Livingston said. “No one could have predicted the pandemic’s impact on the airline industry and our economy.”

With international and domestic aviation sharply curtailed since March due to the pandemic, the industry lost $118 billion last year and demand was down 61% over 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Based on industry data, orders for new aircraft are not likely to increase “in any significant way” for several years, Livingston said.

“We have ample capacity at our Connecticut location and have chosen to consolidate our operations,” he said.

Several of the 23 workers in Lynn will have job opportunities at HORST’s East Hartford site. The consolidation will not be completed until late this year, the company said.

Because of the time required to conclude operations at Lynn, the company has not determined the timing of layoffs.

HORST, founded in 1946, is a privately held family-owned manufacturer.

Connecticut has broad exposure to commercial aviation and the industry downturn. Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney announced in October it was cutting about 450 salaried workers in East Hartford and Middletown.

Military aerospace manufacturing is benefiting from rising Pentagon spending that’s helping to offset the decline in commercial aviation.