[jcommin]

This is interesting article. I worked for Fel-Pro Inc for 35 yrs. They have a very large presence in the aftermarket gasket world and a small OE presence especially the HD side. The aftermarket biz is very cyclic; busy season is typically the first 4 months of the new year. It tails off during the summer months and in the fall, production ramps up to build inventory for the new year. You can make book on this. The aftermarket spikes when there is a drop in OE sales mostly due to the economy. People will fix their car rather than buy new. It reverses, especially if the OEs offer special financing or rebates. Because Fel-Pro has both, one segment offsets the other, thus the business is very stable

This year is no different. Their gaskets can be bought directly, thru auto part stores, Amazon, Summit Racing, Ebay, and Rock Auto. There may be other factors for the closing.