Rohr Hagerstown

  Rohr Hagerstown, Maryland
Rohr Industries, Inc.
composite bonding, final assembly
non-union plant

Written and compliled by S. Poole

On October 30, 1987, Rohr Industries announced the purchase of the Fairchild Composite/Bonding Center in Hagerstown, Maryland. The purchase included the buildings, machinery, and equipment on 60 acres. It became Rohr's third largest operation behind Chula Vista and Riverside (Rohr, 1988, page 41). 

Rohr's Hagerstown facility manufactured composite aerodynamic casings for aircraft engines and thrust reversers. It was comprised of 423,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space (Rohr, p. 51; New York Times, 22 July 1993).

By July 1989, Rohr Hagerstown was employing 468 people (Douglass, 1993, p. C1)

United Auto Workers represented Rohr employees at the Maryland plant (Schena, 24 Sept 1990).

The Hagerstown plant worked on composite bonding and final assembly and employed 520 people (Rohr, 1990).

By August 1992, Rohr Hagerstown was employing 477 people but planning to phase out and close in 1994 (Douglass, 1993, p. C1).

In 1993, preparing and mailing brochures and videos, three hundred of Rohr Hagerstown's employees were involved in the search to find a buyer for the plant as it was scheduled to close in 1994 due to a slum in sales (New York Times, 22 July 1993).

By August 1993, employment at Rohr Hagerstown had dropped down to 323 people (Douglass, 1993, p. C1).

The Rohr plant in Hagerstown, Maryland was closed in the early 1990's to increase production in the company's other facilities (Rohr, p. 23).


References:

Douglass, Elizabeth. “Rohr Still Pays for Heyday’s Decisions.” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Aug. 1993, p. C1.
Rohr Industries, Inc. Corporate Identity Manual. 1988.

What are some of your memories of working at Rohr in Hagerstown? Please send your photos newletters, newpapers and stories to sue@rohrmemories.com so that we can post them here. Thanks!