Salem manufacturer shuts down

Synchronized Manufacturing Technologies Inc., a Salem metal and electronic facility shut down operations on Sept. 9, leaving about 10 people out of work, according to Paul Litwack president and CEO of Da-Tech Corp., a Pennsylvania manufacturer that bought Synchronized Manufacturing’s customer relationships.Litwack would not disclose the purchase price for the company’s assets.Da-Tech will not continue the Salem operation, nor place its workers elsewhere, and a secured creditor will take the company’s machinery, Litwack said. Joseph Finn Co., a Massachusetts auctioneer, is scheduled to auction off the company’s equipment on Sept. 20 at the plant site, according to Finn’s website.Synchronized president Alan Kule, who lives in Salem, did not return messages. But Kule did post on his personal Facebook page on Sept. 1: “Sold my biz. Thank you God. Hello Alaska,” and received various congratulations from his Facebook friends.Kule started the privately owned company in 2004, and it had relatively low profile, except for an incident in June 2009, when a machine exploded, sending one worker to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to WMUR-TV.According to Manta, the company had estimated annual sales of $2.5 million to $5 million and a workforce ranging from 10 to 19 people. But Litwack said that the company had struggled financially of late due to the recession, and was down to about 10 people when it shut its doors. — BOB SANDERS/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW