Inside the Empty Lefere Forge Plant, Jackson, Michigan: Closed Since 2018

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Located at 665 Hupp Avenue in Jackson, the Lefere Forge plant shut down at the end of 2018. After serving the community since the summer of 1929, the company had no choice but to close, thanks to budget hassles and a shortage of skilled labor.

When Lefere Forge opened for business in June 1929, they concentrated on the manufacturing of wheel hubs and gear blanks for motor vehicles.

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Lefere Forge was founded by Alidor Lefere in the late 1920s and it stayed in the family with each new generation. In 1905, Alidor emigrated to the United States from Belgium when he was only nineteen years old. A little over twenty years later, he and his brother Henry were president and vice president of the new Lefere company. When the plant finally closed in 2018, the last remaining company president was Peter Lefere, who had that position for four years.

Just before they closed permanently, their website was taken down; but not until it made one last announcement on November 1st: "Regrettably Lefere Forge is announcing today the plant is closing. The last several years have been challenging financially, and a continuing labor shortage has not allowed us to operate the plant efficiently.....We anticipate shutting the plant down within approximately the next four weeks. We cannot thank you enough for your past business and support."

Around sixty workers lost their jobs; many were able to find work elsewhere.

As of 2023, the factory still stands, empty. The gallery below features images of the inside of the old factory how it currently appears, taken by a member of the family.

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