KNOX — Good news may be on the horizon for Starke County’s largest employer MPI.
A bidder, Cerion LLC has expressed interest in purchasing Precision Parts International (PPI).
PPI, the parent company of Knox’s MPI — a key supplier to the Big 3 automakers - filed bankruptcy Friday, Dec. 12.
Charles Weaver said Monday, Dec. 15 that bankruptcy documents indicated there were three potential buyers, and that an auction would be held to select a buyer.

Employees at the Knox plant had been told they would have jobs for the foreseeable future, Weaver had said.
Weaver, who is executive director of the Starke County Development Foundation, immediately began working to find a buyer when the bankruptcy was announced.
PPI President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Lefave said bankruptcy was unavoidable.
“The current depressed conditions in the domestic auto industry, along with the continued tightening of credit markets, created insurmountable hurdles that could not be overcome,” he said.
MPI manufactures critical high-precision components for engines, transmissions, brake, safety and seating systems.
Weaver said the prospects for a buyer are good because MPI “is a critical supplier to the auto industry. Closing of the plant here could shut down the auto industry. No one else does what is done here.” He said the employees have advanced manufacturing skills.
MPI employs 323 people.
The deadline for bidding on PPI is Thursday, March 5. The auction date has been set for Monday, March 9, with a final hearing date set for Tuesday, March 10.