TWINSBURG, Ohio (AP) -- For 21 years, Duane Wilson used Chrysler's tools to earn his paycheck. Wednesday, he tried to buy some of that equipment as a liquidation company auctioned off what was left of the automaker's Twinsburg Stamping Plant.
"I've been doing some odds and ends, doing some custom work for some local machine shops" since June, Wilson said, when he lost his job shortly before Chrysler closed the plant. Unable to find a job as a skilled tradesman, Wilson went into business for himself, making a lot less money.
The auction, which continued Thursday, was a sad event for several former Twinsburg workers who watched salvage companies buy the tools and equipment they used for decades. They pointed to the initials and notes that some of their colleagues had written on the equipment. Almost everything for sale was marked "TSP," Chrysler's abbreviation for the stamping facility.
Canadian liquidation company Maynards Industries Ltd. bought the Twinsburg plant in March. It was one of the assets that Chrysler abandoned when it filed for bankruptcy last year. Maynards sold most of the large stamping presses and some other equipment. The 2.2-million- square-foot building and the 167 acres on which it sits are still for sale.
Several former workers talked about how much equipment was already gone from the site. They pointed to robots and welding racks, talking about who worked on which line. They traded rumors about which press or computer supposedly was going to China. Several companies had booths set up at the auction to arrange shipment of items purchased. One shipping company specialized in sending machines to Asia.
"It's like coming to a funeral. We're looking to see who shows up," said Brad Dailey, a former Twinsburg worker who moved to Auburn Hills, Mich., to work at Chrysler's corporate offices when the Twinsburg plant closed.
Cliff Hemlinger, caretaker of the plant's property for Maynards, said it's painful to watch the dismantling of what had been one of the world's most advanced stamping operations. He was an engineer at Twinsburg until the plant closed.
"I was here when they did the renovations in '93," he said. "I watched them put all of this in. Now I'm watching them take it all out."
A few retirees and visitors hoped to buy a souvenir -- maybe an old toolbox, an industrial vacuum or a ladder. Wilson said he hoped to get some tool cabinets, grinding tools and other equipment so he could take on more work from his home in Mahoning County.
He wasn't having much luck.
The heavily used equipment at the 53-year-old plant was going for a lot more than many bidders expected.
"The prices are going basically for what we could sell it at retail," said Rick Affrica, a buyer for HGR Industrial Surplus in Euclid.
Many of the bidders appeared to be following the advice of auctioneer Robert Levy, who led the fast-paced sales event.
"Fill your factories and warehouses with lots of good equipment," Levy said as the first lot went up for sale. After auctioning off a few items, he added, "Don't stop now. That's my motto. Bid now, think later."
The pace was relentless. Levy and another auctioneer traded places every hour, letting the sales go on without so much as a break for a sip of water. A snack cart set up near the auction stage sold $2 hot dogs and $4 cheeseburgers, allowing buyers to stay close to the action all day.
Moses Glick, an Amish giant in the industrial salvage business who lives in Lancaster, Pa., bought the first lot, paying $1,240 for three banding carts -- machines used to wrap bands around pallets of goods to keep them together for shipping.
"I always try to buy the first lot. I think it's good luck," Glick said with a chuckle. "It's a good way to run out of money early."
Skip Sternen, a Shaker Heights industrial equipment buyer, said he used to be able to come to auctions and pay $25 for equipment that sold new for $100. He could then sell the used equipment for $50, making a tidy profit.
"Now, my old customers are here, paying $75," he said. "I can't buy it and mark it up any more."
Many of the people who were winning bidders said they planned to resell the equipment on eBay or other auction sites. Only a handful of buyers said they planned to use their equipment in their own factories. Several owners of small machine shops said they wanted Twinsburg's former machines, but they were getting outbid.
Affrica took the high prices as a good sign. He said factories are starting to increase production, so they need equipment.
"There's demand out there. Our business is picking up," Affrica said. "Things are starting to get better."
