BEREA, Ohio -- The Eaton Corp. has decided to shut down its Berea factory that manufacturers quick-connect couplings for hydraulic lines. More than 100 will lose their jobs.

In a Feb. 9 letter filed with the city and the state, Eaton said the first layoffs will begin April 9 and the plant will be closed by December.

Eaton plans to buy the couplings from another manufacturer and ship them to a plant it owns in Mexico where workers will assemble them.

"The company carefully analyzed this situation and its available options, and it is with regret that we must take this action," the company wrote in the letter.

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"Affected employees do not have bumping right and employees are not represented by a union. Affected employees will be eligible for both severance pay and benefits. It is our hope that these programs will lessen the impact of the plant closures on individual employees and on the the community as a whole," the letter continued.

In a separate statement, the company this week said: "This decision is the result of an ongoing review of our manufacturing processes to ensure that Eaton is well-positioned for the future and that our businesses operate as efficiently as possible."

"This decision is not a reflection on Berea employees who have worked very hard over the years to meet our customers' needs."

Eaton cut some 2,500 jobs in 2015, closing eight factories in an effort to down-size itself to stay competitive in the slowly growing global economy.

Eaton describes itself as a diversified industrial manufacturer of power management technologies, including electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. Eaton's products are used in mining, oil, solar, wind, other electrical systems, agricultural equipment and large trucks