Tower Defense Fires 16 Workers after FOX 2 Investigation

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) - A Problem Solver investigation is getting results. We recently showed you workers at a local defense company smoking and drinking and then heading back to work. Tower Defense and Aerospace is now taking steps to clean things up.

16 employees have been fired and another employee remains suspended. Tower Defense has acted swiftly and seriously regarding this story -- a story that made news not just here in metro Detroit, but around the country.

Two weeks ago, FOX 2 showed you video of Tower Defense and Aerospace employees from a factory in Detroit partying at lunch. The factory makes parts for armored vehicles for our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The employees were openly smoking blunts and drinking in a market parking lot just a block down the street from their plant. Then, after a half hour of that, they headed back to work to finish their shifts.

After the story initially ran, Tower, a company that acquired the defense plant in April and said they were in the process of their own investigation, suspended 17 employees who were busted on the job. They've now fired 16 of those workers.

Derek Fiebig from Tower sent FOX 2 an email stating, "As mentioned in our initial statement, we use extensive in-process and final inspection checks to make sure that the products that leave the factory are safe and reliable."

He went on to say, "Since Tower bought this plant in April, we have a record of zero defects in our defense business!"

Tower Defense and Aerospace said in their initial statement they were looking for qualified candidates, so they may be hiring.

Certainly, they're interested in making sure everyone knows they mean business when they say they are committed to cleaning up this factory and making it a success.

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Tower Defense and Aerospace Factory Workers Party at Lunch