Magna International (Aurora, Ontario / Canada; www.magnaint.com) plans to close three manufacturing plants, with the loss of about 1,110 jobs. The automotive supplier said it will close its Exterion (www.exterion.ca) subsidiary, which has two plants in Ontario, affecting about 850 employees. The company will also close its precision finished components (PFC) manufacturing division, which is located in North Sydney, Nova Scotia / Canada, affecting about 260 employees.

Exterion, which belongs to Magna International’s Decoma International (www.decoma.com) operating unit, produces exterior plastic parts such as fenders and body panels, and has plants in Aurora and Newmarket. Magna International plans to consolidate the Exterion operations into other Decoma facilities. The consolidation is expected to be completed by June 2009. The company explained that it was closing the Exterion and PFC operations as a result of the downturn in the North American automotive sector.