WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) — On Wednesday, New York Air Brake announced plans to realign operations in North America.

According to the global manufacturer New York Air Brake LLC, the company will launch production in Acuna, Mexico. This will cause the company to shift capacity and production scop at three facilities in the United States, including Salisbury, North Carolina; Nixa, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri.

New York Air Brake President and CEO Ulisses Camilo noted that over 70% of the company’s freight OE clients are producing railcars in Mexico. This is the reasoning behind this new launch.

As a result, NYAB will refocus its manufacturing capabilities in Watertown, New York to become a machining operation. The company confirmed that in order to minimize customer disruptions, the phased transition across North America will begin in the fourth quarter of 2021 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. This will impact approximately 125 out of the nearly 400 workers employed in Watertown.

“New York Air Brake is a global company operating in an ever-changing global marketplace. Throughout our history, this business has successfully evolved its manufacturing approach to better serve our customers,” New York Air Brak President and CEO Ulisses Camilo said in a press release. “Our strategic direction for manufacturing has long been to capitalize on our locations and core competencies, always aiming to align production closer to the point of final assembly.”

This announcement was shared with New York Air Brake employees on September 29. NYAB claimed that sharing the news on September 29 provided “as much notice as possible assist affected employees.

“Supporting our own is a responsibility on which we simply will not waver. We will take action to help support our affected employees as they take their next career step,” Camilo added. “This includes a severance and benefits package and job placement services. Over the coming weeks and months, we will actively work with outplacement and governmental agencies to begin that process.”

New York Air Brake, LLC is a global manufacturer of train control systems for the railroad industry. Locally, it is located on Starbuck Avenue in Watertown, New York.