US jet engine-maker Pratt & Whitney has begun shutting down its Blades Technology Ltd. (BTL) compressor and turbine blades plant in Nahariya after more than 50 years, leading to the loss of about 600 jobs in Israel’s north.

The closure of the manufacturing plant, formerly owned by the Wertheimer family, comes after four years of struggle, including work stoppages and efforts by the Histadrut Labor Federation to find a buyer to keep its doors open.

In 2022, Pratt & Whitney announced that BTL’s production line would be gradually phased out as the Nahariya plant was incurring significant losses, and instead, decided to relocate manufacturing to the US.

The US manufacturer of precision forged and machined blades and vanes for the aerospace and industrial gas turbine industries has two factories in Israel’s north, one in Nahariya and one in Tefen. As a result of the Nahariya plant closure about 600 employees will be laid off through August, with some expected to take early retirement and another 150 to 200 to join the Tefen plant for jet engine blades.

The Israel Manufacturers’ Association on Tuesday expressed deep regret and concern over the factory closure and employee dismissals, citing the strength of the shekel against the dollar and the rise in the costs of input materials as factors making it difficult to continue manufacturing operations in Israel.

“The closure of the factory is not a one-off event, but a........

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