One of the most famous engineering works in Birmingham is to close after 73 years of production.
The Cincinnati machine tool factory in Kingsbury Road, Erdington, is to be shut with the loss of 90 jobs.
Union officials immediately condemned the plan, calling it "yet another nail in the coffin of West Midland manufacturing".
The announcement came less than a year after the business, latterly known as Cincinnati Lamb but previously having operated as Cincinnati Milacron, was sold by US parent group Unova to MAG Industrial Automation Systems for #2 million. It was the first factory established by the original Cincinnati firm outside America and at its peak employed up to 2,000 people.
Lathes and boring machines produced there graced manufacturing sites throughout the UK and around the world as one of the foremost names in machine-making.
Tom Keogh, regional officer for engineering union Amicus, vowed to challenge the closure saying: "They will not be getting away quietly from this."
A source close to the company said it is believed production is to be transferred to China. No company spokesman was available.
