Last weekend’s news that Delphi has filed for bankruptcyprotection hits close to home for more than 600 employees and theirfamilies who depend on the Brookhaven plant for theirlivelihood.

Although there has been no word on the fate of the local plant,Delphi’s troubles are definite cause for concern – not only foremployees but for local leaders as well.

For almost 30 years, the plant on Industrial Park Road has beenintegral to this community’s economic prosperity.

Several multi-million dollar expansions in the plant’s historyare testament to the company’s faith in it and the quality workproduced here in Brookhaven. That would seem to bode well for theplant’s prospects in the restructuring, but that is onlyspeculation at this point.

Delphi’s local employee total places it among the community’stop employers, and its salary structure is also among the best inthe area. Any changes, which may unfortunately be necessary, couldhave ripple effects throughout the community.

Delphi is part of a diverse business and industry base inBrookhaven and Lincoln County.

In the past, diversity has helped this community overcomeeconomic challenges. Continued economic development efforts, suchas city, county and chamber officials’ work on a new business park,hopefully will produce future opportunities for success.

Those opportunities will be at least a year or more down theroad. For now, we can only echo hopes that Delphi will able toadequately address its troubles and the Brookhaven plant remains avital part of the local economy for many years to come.