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Future Uncertain For Panasonic's Knoxville Plant

Electronics manufacturer planning to shift some automotive speaker manufacturing from Knoxville to Mexico, but there's no decision yet whether there will be job cuts.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Electronics manufacturer Panasonic is planning to shift some automotive speaker manufacturing from Knoxville to Mexico.

The downturn in the auto industry is pinching company profits.

The Knoxville News Sentinel quoted Clark Brandon, assistant general manager of the Knoxville plant, as saying there's no decision yet on whether any of the 130 local jobs will be cut.

Brandon said between October and the end of the year, most speaker manufacturing now done in Knoxville will be shifted to a plant in Reynosa, Mexico.

He said speakers made in Mexico will be shipped back to the U.S. to be assembled into speaker systems for carmakers.