KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - ARC Automotive, a manufacturer of vehicle airbag inflators, announced Tuesday it was laying off up to 45 workers later this month.
The plant has 630 employees and has been in business in Knoxville for about 15 years.
The layoffs will take effect May 25 for hourly production employees, said Gabe Bucca, vice president of human resources and administration.
Bucca, who has been with the company for almost 10 years, said the layoffs are the first since he's been at the company.
''The weakening of the North American automotive market has contributed to a decline in North American demand for ARC Automotive products,'' the company said in a statement.
The company, which is a segment of New York-based Sequa Corp., was hoping for an upturn in the market so the workers could be recalled in the future.