The Blades Technology Company site in Nahariya, a longstanding industrial fixture in the Western Galilee, is set to close within weeks. Reports show that after discussions between management and worker representatives, two departments will continue running, so roughly 450 staff members will lose their positions at this stage.

The mood among staff remains tense, with many expressing frustration over the lack of earlier attention. Employees noted that outreach to ministers and the Knesset Finance Committee yielded no support. Union chairman Rokon Said added that owners and the Histadrut are now arranging training courses, resume guidance, and a job fair, with the Nahariya site likely shutting before August.

Pratt and Whitney confirmed the closure yesterday and began issuing layoff notices to remaining workers. This ends a nearly four-year effort that began when the plan to end operations was first revealed.

The choice was finalized in December 2022. Pratt and Whitney, which took control of the firm started by Stef Wertheimer, cited ongoing losses and weaker global demand for jet engine blades. The firm had projected a 2025 finish, yet activity persisted past that point.

Stef Wertheimer launched Blades Technology Company in 1968 after the Six-Day War to produce jet engine parts locally following a French embargo. The location grew into a key northern industrial center that employed multiple generations from the Western Galilee. Pratt and Whitney later joined as a partner and bought Wertheimer's stake in 2014.

Although financial reasons supported the closure announcement, global events shifted demand. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East boosted needs for fighter jet parts, extending operations beyond the initial schedule. The company has now chosen to finalize the exit.

The Manufacturers' Association points to a weaker dollar rate, higher input costs, and rising local production expenses as factors that sped up the shutdown and hindered continued activity in Israel.

This closure hits employment hard in Nahariya and the Western Galilee. The area has faced security challenges for nearly three years due to northern border tensions, and the loss of a major local employer adds further strain. Many workers also come from nearby Druze villages, so effects will reach well beyond Nahariya itself.