Auto supplier plants work around Beijing Olympics

Locally based auto suppliers with factories in the Beijing area are making some temporary changes for the 2008 Olympics.

Van Buren Township-based Visteon Corp. halted production at a climate control products plant in Beijing Aug. 4-7 and shuttered its Yanfeng Visteon Beijing facility on Friday. That plant will reopen Aug. 18. Visteon spokes- man Jim Fisher said the company is following the production schedules of its customers and was not asked to close by the Chinese government.

Troy-based Delphi Corp. said the company's plants in Beijing have not been affected by the Olympics.

But because of Olympic-related road closures and traffic reductions, the supplier has had to reroute and consolidate its parts shipments, according to Lindsey Williams, corporate restructuring, financial communications, labor and manufacturing spokesman for Delphi.

"It's been strictly some logistical changes,” Williams said.

Auburn Hills-based BorgWarner Inc. said a company plant in Beijing was expected to be closed from last Friday through this Saturday.

"The Chinese government suggested we do this to improve traffic conditions in Beijing,” Dave Peterson, BorgWarner manager of global branding and media relations told Crain's in an e-mail. “Our facility made a plan back in April (as many other companies did) to shut down during the Olympics.”

Peterson added that because this closure was planned, it would not affect August sales figures.

He also noted this type of a shutdown was not unusual, as many companies have summer shutdowns.