"We're exploring consolidating some people and facilities, but we haven't made any decisions. Any decision now would be premature,' Cole tells GlobeSt.com.

The talk of internal belt-tightening came on from the economy problems, Colesays. In December, Visteon is took a number of aggressive actions to address thesoftening of U.S. industry volumes. These include:

· A reduction in capital spending.

· An immediate hiring freeze.

· Eliminating most production overtime.

· And substantial reductions in all discretionary spending.

.The company also undertook a 30-day functional review of worldwide operations with a goal of reducing structure, eliminating redundancies and streamlining processes.

There are 21 Visteon facilities in Southeast Michigan, with 6,500 employees. Visteon's executive and main office share a home headquarters town with its former owner, Ford, which it spun off from in June 2000.

Some reports have said the company may try to distance itself with the large automotive manufacturer, in order to expand its brand name. However, Cole said that couldn't be further from the truth.

"Ford is our biggest customer. We wouldn't want to leave them at all," he says.