Despite Delphi’s recent announcement of job cuts, the company’sBrookhaven plant could benefit from corporate restructuringefforts.

According to totals announced Friday, 3,000 hourly workers inthe U.S. and 5,500 abroad are scheduled to be cut next year. AnnCornell Vickers, communications manager for Delphi in Warren, Ohio,said the company is looking at reducing jobs through retirementsand other attrition.

“There are many different ways for that reduction to takeplace,” Cornell Vickers said. “The idea is to manage it throughattrition.”

Cornell Vickers acknowledged the possibility of reductionefforts beyond attrition.

“At this time, that has not been laid out as being such,” shesaid.

In addition to a facility in Clinton, Delphi’s Brookhaven planton Industrial Park Road has about 600 employees. Cornell Vickersindicated that no job reductions were planned at the Brookhavenplant.

“At this time, Brookhaven should be as OK as any other facilityin the U.S.,” she said. “We’re not coming in and wiping out a bunchof employees in Brookhaven.”

In fact, Cornell Vickers cited some operations movements fromplant to plant that could help Brookhaven. She said the company islooking at consolidation of manufacturing operations.

“We have excess capacity,” Cornell Vickers said.

Cornell Vickers said a plant in Foley, Ala., is scheduled toclose in 2005 and manufacturing activities at a Landrum, S.C.,facility will be moved.

“There are a lot of activities taking place and will continue totake place in ’05,” Cornell Vickers said, mentioning theactivities’ potential impact on Brookhaven. “At this point, theypossibly could receive some manufacturing,”

Requests for comment from Brookhaven Delphi officials weredirected to the corporate office.

Kenny Goza, 2004 Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commercepresident, was hopeful that the Brookhaven plant would not be hurtby the job cuts. He said the local plant has a proven track recordof high performance, good production and good employees.

“I’m optimistic this plant will hold its own,” Goza said whilecomplimenting plant manager Ken Harlan. “It is one of thetop-performing plants in the Delphi corporation.”