$20.8 million offered for Blackhawk

YOUNGSTOWN — An Illinois company is offering $20.8 million for Blackhawk Automotive Plastics, which is expected to kick off a bankruptcy court auction for the Salem company.

Blackhawk will ask at a court hearing Friday in Youngstown that Flex-N-Gate Corp. be named the lead bidder in such an auction.

Blackhawk employs 1,500 at three plants, including 600 in Salem. It makes plastic parts for vehicles and once was part of Worthington Custom Plastics.

Blackhawk filed for bankruptcy protection in October. As part of financing arrangements, lenders required Blackhawk to market the business as a continuing operation.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.