Pratt & Whitney to close historic Nahariya blade plant after 50 years

Pratt & Whitney, the American aerospace giant, said on Monday that it will shut down its “Blade Technology” plant in Nahariya’s industrial zone within weeks. The site is one of the North’s historic flagship defense-industry factories, and its closure ends more than five decades of activity since industrialist Steff Wertheimer founded it after the Six-Day War.

The company has already handed out some dismissal letters. About 600 employees still work there. Pratt & Whitney had announced in December 2022 that it intended to close the Nahariya site because of financial losses. The original plan was a gradual shutdown by 2025, but production continued longer than expected because of strong demand for blades and the local workforce’s quality. The company has now decided to move the production line to the United States.

Efforts by business figures to buy the plant and keep it operating in Israel failed, and interventions by government officials, including the Economy Ministry and Knesset figures, did not change the decision. The land used by the factory is expected to be rezoned, with future housing and commercial projects planned there.

Workers say they are stunned and fearful about their future. One longtime employee said receiving the notice felt like “a punch in the stomach that cannot be explained,” adding, “What will happen? Where will we go?” She said her husband also works at the plant and that both, now 60, must start over in the labor market. The closure is also expected to hit the wider Western Galilee economy indirectly, affecting suppliers, contractors, transport, catering, and logistics. A Nahariya resident who worked there for 28 years said, “5,000 residents from the whole area will also be in trouble,” noting the scale of local services tied to the plant, including nearly one million shekels a month for transport and drivers. The workers’ committee said employees will receive enhanced severance pay, plus professional assistance, employment counseling, and a local job fair.