Spokane Valley-based electronics manufacturer Servatron Inc. will shut down at the end of the year, according to a statement from its U.K.-based parent company, Volex PLC.

The 26-year-old company's equipment and customers will be consolidated to a separate Volex subsidiary, Irvine Electronics Inc., in Irvine, California.

“The move enables the company to optimize its U.S. manufacturing footprint while maintaining continuity of service for customers,” the statement from Volex says. “Early notice has been given to both customers and employees to support a smooth transition.”

Servatron employs around 100 people, says Richard Brown, acting general manager of Servatron and general manager at Irvine Electronics. Whether all employees will be laid off, or if some will transfer to the Irvine plant, is yet to be determined and will be based on need, he says.

“Nobody likes to close down a plant because of the effect on the employees and the local community, but from a customer standpoint, they understand, and many of the customers will be transferring to the new plant,” Brown says. “The good news, or the way the company did it, was that (Volex) provided a very long off-ramp to the closure date. That was intended to lessen the impact on the customers and the employees and allow people enough time to make the transition a little more effectively.”

The decision to close the Spokane Valley plant was made at the beginning of the year due to excess capacity at both manufacturing sites, says Brown. Additionally, Servatron’s lease of 70,000 square feet of space at 12825 E. Mirabeau Parkway will be ending next year, he adds. 

Machinery and equipment will be moved from Servatron to the Irvine Electronics plant on or shortly after Dec. 31, when Servatron officially closes, Brown says.

U.K.-based electronics manufacturer Volex acquired Servatron in 2019 for $28.5 million, the Journal previously reported. Irvine Electronics was acquired by Volex for $16.4 million in 2021, according to a press release from the company.

Servatron manufactures printed circuit board assemblies, box builds, and complete sub-assembly solutions, according to Volex’s website. Founded in 2000, Servatron is a spinoff of Liberty Lake-based utility-technology company Itron Inc.